evaluating the impact of the principles of the …

EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF THE PRINCIPLES OF THE

NATIONAL CURRICULUM STATEMENT ON GRADE 10 LIFE ORIENTATION

BY

PETRUS SIZANI SKOSANA

Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of

DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

In the subject

CURRICULUM STUDIES

At the

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA

PROMOTER: PROFESSOR L D M LEBELOANE

November 2010

DECLARATION

I declare that: Evaluating the impact of the principles of the National Curriculum Statement

on grade 10 Life Orientation is my own work and that all the sources used in this study have

been acknowledged by means of a comprehensive list of sources.

______________________ ___________

PETRUS SIZANI SKOSANA Date

(Student No. 04137345)

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I wish to express my appreciation to all those teachers who willingly took part in this study

and made it possible for me to conduct the research. I will always be thankful to my

promoter, Prof. LDM Lebeloane, who patiently guided and supported me. For the past three

years he spent a lot of his time to help me and was always available when I needed his

assistance. I am also indebted to Professor S. Schulze for her excellent guidance and

counsel on how the study could be corrected and improved. I am very thankful to my friend,

Dr RB Monyai, for his help throughout the course of this study. I would also like to thank my

wife, Ester, my three sons, Khulekani, Phumelele and Thebeng and my daughter, Ntombi, for

their support and understanding while I spent much of what should have been family time on

my studies. Finally, I would like to express my appreciation and gratitude to my late parents,

Dina Turu Skosana and Mzimbili Thomas Skosana. Masindakulu!

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SUMMARY

Effective implementation of the principles of the National curriculum Statement (NCS) for Life

Orientation has various requirements. Thus, with a specific focus on Life Orientation in grade

10, the study aimed at investigating various issues around the implementation of these

principles. To this end, a mixed-methods approach was used. In the quantitative phase,

questionnaires were used. In the qualitative phase, focus groups and interviews were used

to collect data. Similar questions were asked in both phases. The sample was a group of 48

Life Orientation teachers from 48 secondary schools in the Gauteng West district. Ethical

issues were considered. Techniques to ensure validity and reliability were also taken into

account.

The results showed that, in general:

• the introduction of the NCS in Life Orientation had resulted in too much paperwork

and administration for the teachers;

• the principles of the NCS had not helped to transform education from the apartheid

era system of education to the present democratic system of education;

• the teachers were poorly trained with regard to implementing the principles of the

NCS in the sense that there were not enough workshops and follow-up support

provided;

• the principles of the NCS were not implemented at schools, among others because

there were problems with the distribution of policies to the teachers via the school

management;

• the implementation of the principles of the NCS did not make the envisaged impact on

learner attitudes since the attitudes of many learners were often negative;


learner respect for other cultures;

• the principles of the NCS did not have the ideal impact on morals, values and

standards; or impact significantly on crime rate, learner pregnancy or disrespect at

school; and

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• the principles of the NCS did not support learners well to acquire life skills.

• However, the principles of the NCS in Life Orientation were more successful with

regards to helping address barriers to learning.

In line with the above, recommendations were made and the limitations of the study were

pointed out.

KEYWORDS

• Life Orientation

• Evaluating

• Impact

• Principles

• Outcomes-based education

• Curriculum 2005 (C2005)

• Learning programmes

• Critical outcomes

• Teaching methods

• Constructivism

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW 1.1 INTRODUCTION AND RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY ................................... 1

1.1.1 Introduction: contextualisation .......................................................... 1

1.1.2 Rationale for the study ...................................................................... 3

1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS ............................... 5

1.3 AIMS OF THE RESEARCH ............................................................................... 6

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY ...................................................................... 7

1.5 DEFINITION OF CONCEPTS ........................................................................... 9

1.5.1 Principles of the NCS ........................................................................ 9

1.5.2 Grade 10 ........................................................................................... 9

1.5.3 Life Orientation .................................................................................10

1.5.4 Evaluating .........................................................................................10

1.5.5 Outcomes-based education (OBE) and Curriculum 2005

(C2005) ............................................................................................10

1.5.6 Learning programmes ......................................................................11

1.5.7 Critical outcomes ..............................................................................11

1.5.8 Teaching methods ............................................................................11

1.5.9 Constructivism ..................................................................................12

1.5.10 Teacher ...........................................................................................12

1.5.11 Curriculum and curriculum framework ..............................................12

1.5.12 National Qualifications Framework (NQF) ......................................13

1.5.13 Assessment in the NCS subjects .....................................................13

1.6 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY ................................................14

1.6.1 Quantitative research .......................................................................14

1.6.2 Qualitative research .........................................................................15

1.7 THE DIVISION OF CHAPTERS .......................................................................15

1.8 SUMMARY ......................................................................................................17

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CHAPTER 2: THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM: OUTCOMES-BASED EDUCATION, CURRICULUM 2005 AND THE NCS

2.1 INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................18

2.2 THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD IN SOUTH AFRICA ........................................18

2.3 THE CONSTITUTION OF 1996 .......................................................................19

2.3.1 The Bill of Rights ..............................................................................20

2.4 THE SOUTH AFRICAN SCHOOLS ACT (SASA) .............................................20

2.4.1 Aims and objectives of the South African Schools Act (SASA) ........20

2.4.2 Values and principles of democracy in education .............................21

2.4.3 The rights of the learners to basic education ....................................21

2.4.4 The education system is transformed ...............................................21

2.5 THE NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY ACT (NEPA) OF 1992 .......................22

2.5.1 The aims and objectives of education in South Africa ......................23

2.5.1.1 Advancing and protecting the fundamental rights of all ....................23

2.5.1.2 Contributing to the full personal development of all learners ............23

2.5.1.3 Achieving equitable education opportunities and redressing the

past ..................................................................................................24

2.5.1.4 Providing opportunities for and encouraging lifelong learning ..........24

2.5.1.5 Achieving an integrated approach to education and training ............25

2.5.1.6 Encouraging independent and critical thought ..................................26

2.5.1.7 Promoting a culture of respect for teaching and learning in

education institutions ........................................................................26

2.6 THE NEED FOR TEACHER TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT ......................27

2.7 OUTCOMES-BASED EDUCATION (OBE) ......................................................28

2.7.1 The process of the implementation of OBE in South Africa ..............29

2.7.2 Models of OBE .................................................................................34

2.7.2.1 The Australian model .........................................................35

2.7.2.2 The American model ..........................................................37

2.7.2.3 The Canadian model ..........................................................38

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2.7.3 The characteristics of OBE ...............................................................39

2.7.3.1 A clear focus ......................................................................39

2.7.3.2 Opportunities and ongoing assistance ...............................39

2.7.3.3 Achievement of learning outcomes ....................................39

2.7.3.4 Learning and assessment programmes .............................40

2.7.3.5 High standards ...................................................................40

2.7.4 Criticism of OBE ...............................................................................41

2.7.5 Curriculum 2005 (C2005) .................................................................42

2.7.5.1 The characteristics of C2005 .............................................43

2.7.5.2 The design features of C2005 ............................................44

2.7.5.3 Principles of C2005 .............................................................46

2.7.6. The NCS ...........................................................................................49

2.7.6.1 Why the NCS was introduced ............................................49

2.7.6.2 The curriculum cycle from apartheid education to the

NCS ...................................................................................52

2.8 THE IMPORTANCE OF STAKEHOLDER INVOLVEMENT .............................55

2.9 THE REORGANISATION OF SCHOOLS ........................................................57

2.10 CONCLUSION .................................................................................................60

CHAPTER 3: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS THAT INFLUENCE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CURRICULUM 3.1 INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................61

3.2 THE INFLUENCE OF THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS ..................................61

3.3 THE EFFECT OF CHANGES IN THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS ON

CURRICULA ....................................................................................................63

3.3.1 The attempt to abandon OBE ...........................................................65

3.4 TWO DIVERSE FRAMEWORKS: POSITIVISM AND CONSTRUCTIVISM .....71

3.4.1 Positivism .........................................................................................71

3.4.1.1 The definition of positivism .................................................71

3.4.1.2 Characteristics of positivism ...............................................71

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3.4.2 Constructivism ..................................................................................72

3.4.2.1 The definition of constructivism ............................................72

3.4.2.2 Characteristics of constructivism .........................................72

3.4.2 3 Transforming the apartheid education system .....................73

3.4.2.4 The impact of constructivism on learning and teaching .......74

3.5 THE IMPACT OF COGNITIVE AND SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIVIST

APPROACHES ................................................................................................74

3.6 CONCLUSION .................................................................................................77

CHAPTER 4: LIFE ORIENTATION IN GRADE 10

4.1 INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................78

4.2 CONSTRUCTIVIST LEARNING AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE

LEARNER ........................................................................................................78

4.2.1 Constructivist learning and the learning outcomes ...........................79

4.2.1.1 The personal well-being of the learner .................................79

4.2.1.2 The citizenship of the learner ...............................................80

4.2.1.3 Recreation and physical involvement ...................................81

4.2.1.4 Careers and career choices .................................................81

4.3 TWO TEACHING APPROACHES ....................................................................82

4.3.1 The deductive approach ...................................................................82

4.3.1.1 Case studies ........................................................................83

4.3.1.2 Lectures, presentations and demonstrations .......................84

4.3.1.3 Practical action of learners ...................................................85

4.3.1.4 Project work .........................................................................86

4.3.2 The inductive approach .....................................................................86

4.4 TEACHING METHODS APPROPRIATE FOR THE NCS SUBJECTS ............87

4.5 DIFFERENT TEACHING METHODS FOR NCS SUBJECTS ..........................89

4.5.1 Using direct instruction as teaching strategy ....................................89

4.5.1.1 The objective of direct instruction ........................................89

4.5.1.2 Teacher participation ...........................................................89

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4.5.1.3 Learner participation .............................................................90

4.5.1.4 Commonly used teaching aids .............................................90

4.5.1.5 Implications for the NCS policy document ...........................90

4.5.2 Using discussion as teaching strategy .............................................91

4.5.2.1 The objective of discussion as teaching strategy .................91


4.5.2.3 Learner participation ............................................................91



4.5.3 Using group-work as a teaching strategy .........................................93

4.5.3.1 The objective of group-work .................................................93




4.5.3.5 Implications of group-work for the NCS policy document .....94

4.5.4 Using co-operative learning as teaching strategy .............................................95

4.5.4.1 The objective of co-operative learning as teaching

strategy ................................................................................95

4.5.4.2 Nature of teacher involvement .............................................95


4.5.4.4 Commonly used teaching aids or media ..............................96


4.5.5 Problem solving as a teaching strategy ............................................97

4.5.5.1 The objective of the problem-solving strategy ......................97

4.5.5.2 Teacher participation .......................................................... 97




4.5.6 Research as a teaching strategy ......................................................98

4.5.6.1 The objective of research ....................................................98


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4.5.6.5 Implications of the research strategy for the NCS policy

document .............................................................................99

4.5.7 Electronic Learning (e-Learning) as a teaching strategy ................100

4.5.7.1 The objective of electronic learning ....................................100

4.5.7.2 Teacher participation .........................................................100

4.5.7.3 Learner participation ..........................................................100

4.5.7.4 Commonly used teaching aids or media ............................100

4.5.7.5 Implications of the electronic teaching strategy (e-

Learning) for the NCS policy document ............................101

4.6 THE PRINCIPLES OF THE NCS ...................................................................101

4.6.1 The principle of social transformation in Life Orientation ................101

4.6.1.1 What is social transformation? ...........................................101

4.6.1.2 Social transformation through Life Orientation ...................102

4.6.2 The principle of outcomes-based education (OBE) ........................103

4.6.2.1 What is OBE? ....................................................................103

4.6.2.2 OBE in Life Orientation ......................................................105

4.6.3 The principle of extraordinary knowledge and skills .......................106

4.6.3.1 What is meant by extraordinary knowledge and skills? ......206

4.6.3.2 Extraordinary knowledge and skills in Life Orientation .......106

4.6.4 The principle of integration and applied competence .....................106

4.6.4.1 What is integration and applied competence? ...................106

4.6.4.2 Integration and applied competence in Life Orientation .....107

4.6.5 The principle of progression ...........................................................108

4.6.5.1 What is progression? .........................................................108

4.6.5.2 Progression in Life Orientation ...........................................109

4.6.6 The principle of articulation and portability .....................................109

4.6.6.1 What is articulation and portability? ...................................109

4.6.6.2 Articulation and portability in Life Orientation .....................110

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4.6.7 The principle of human rights, inclusivity, environmental and

social justice ...................................................................................110

4.6.7.1 What are human rights, inclusivity and social justice? .......110

4.6.7.2 Human rights, inclusivity, environmental and social

justice in Life Orientation ....................................................111

4.6.8 The principle of valuing indigenous knowledge systems ................111

4.6.8.1 What is ‘valuing indigenous knowledge systems’? ............111

4.6.8.2 Valuing indigenous knowledge systems in Life

Orientation .......................................................................112

4.6.9 The principle of credibility, quality and efficiency ............................112

4.6.9.1 What is credibility, quality and efficiency? ..........................112

4.6.9.2 Credibility, quality and efficiency in Life Orientation ...........113

4.7 A BASIC LESSON PLAN ...............................................................................113

4.8 CONCLUSION ..............................................................................................115

CHAPTER FIVE: RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

5.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................116

5.2 RESEARCH QUESTIONS .............................................................................116

5.3 RESEARCH APPROACH: MIXED-METHODS ..............................................117

5.4 RESEARCH DESIGNS AND METHODOLOGY .............................................118

5.5 THE QUANTITATIVE APPROACH ................................................................119

5.5.1 The questionnaire ...........................................................................119

5.5.2 Pilot study .......................................................................................123

5.6 THE QUALITATIVE APPROACH ...................................................................123

5.6.1 Focus group interviews ..................................................................123

5.6.2 Unstructured interviews ..................................................................126

5.6.3 Follow-up interviews ............................................................................... 127

5.6.4 Observation ....................................................................................127

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5.6.5 The role of the researcher ..............................................................129

5.7 SAMPLING .....................................................................................................129

5.8 DATA ANALYSIS ...........................................................................................130

5.9 MEASURES TO ENSURE VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY ................................132

5.9.1 Validity of the questionnaire ...........................................................132

5.9.2 Reliability of the questionnaire ........................................................133

5.9.3 Validity and reliability of the qualitative phase (trustworthiness) .....134

5.10 ETHICAL MEASURES ...................................................................................135

5.10.1 Informed consent ............................................................................135

5.10.2 Full disclosure or deception ............................................................134

5.10.3 Privacy ...........................................................................................136

5.10.4 Actions and competence of researcher ..........................................136

5.10.5 Cooperation and collaboration ........................................................136

5.10.6 Permission to conduct research .....................................................136

5.11 SUMMARY .....................................................................................................137

CHAPTER SIX: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

6.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................138

6.2 RESULTS .......................................................................................................138

6.2.1 Questionnaire results .....................................................................138

6.3 THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PRINCIPLES OF THE NCS ....................140

6.3.1 Research question one .................................................................140

6.3.2 Research question two ...................................................................141

6.3.3 Research question three ................................................................142

6.3.4 Research question four ..................................................................144

6.3.5 Research question five ...................................................................145

6.3.6 Research question six ....................................................................145

6.3.7 Research question seven ...............................................................146

6.3.8 Research question eight .................................................................147

6.3.9 Research question nine ..................................................................148

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6.4 DISCUSSION OF RESULTS ..........................................................................149

6.4.1 The impact of the amount of paperwork and administration that

teachers have with the implementation of the principles of the

NCS ...............................................................................................149

6.4.2 The extent to which the principles of the NCS helped to

transform education for learners .....................................................150

6.4.3 The impact of the training received by teachers on the

implementation of the principles of the NCS ..................................150

6.4.4 The extent to which the principles of the NCS were being

implemented at schools .................................................................152

6.4.5 Impact made on the attitude of learners .........................................153

6.4.6 The impact of the implementation of the principles of the NCS in

terms of observing the culture of others .........................................154

6.4.7 The impact of the implementation of the principles of the NCS

on morals, values and standards ....................................................154


on addressing barriers to learning ..................................................154


on equipping learners with life skills ...............................................143

6.5 SUMMARY .....................................................................................................155

CHAPTER 7: CONCLUSION, RECOMMENDATIONS AND LIMITATIONS

7.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................156

7.2 CONCLUSIONS .............................................................................................157

7.2.1 Research question one .................................................................157

7.2.2 Research question two ...................................................................158

7.2.3 Research question three ................................................................158

7.2.4 Research question four ..................................................................158

7.2.5 Research question five ...................................................................159

7.2.6 Research question six ....................................................................159

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7.2.7 Research question seven ...............................................................159

7.2.8 Research question eight .................................................................159

7.2.9 Research question nine ..................................................................159

7.3 RECOMMENDATIONS ..................................................................................160

7.3.1 Recommendations for the enhancement of the implementation

of the principles of the NCS for grade 10 Life Orientation ..............160

7.3.2 Recommendations for further research ..........................................161

7.4 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY ......................................................................162

7.5 SUMMARY .....................................................................................................162

LIST OF SOURCES ...................................................................................................164

1

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW 1.1 INTRODUCTION AND RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY 1.1.1 Introduction: contextualisation

This chapter provides an overview of the study. To this end it presents the problem

statement and research questions; aims of the research; definition of concepts; research

design and methodology; as well as an indication of the division of chapters. The context of

the study, in terms of evaluating the impact of the implementation of the principles of the

National Curriculum Statement (NCS) on the Grade 10 school subject of Life Orientation, is

the province of Gauteng.

Official apartheid policies were introduced into South Africa by the National Party when it

took over political power in 1948 (in Hartshorne, 1992: 197). The apartheid policies

influenced the perspectives of looking at society and designing the curriculum. The education

system and the curriculum were designed along the lines of White superiority. Racial

divisions were, therefore, entrenched by means of various government policies that

promoted the separate development of people of the South African society. Organising

society and education based on perspectives that divided society was aimed at the

domination of black people (Mothobi, 2001: 33; Holmarsdottir, 2008: 8). For example, the

Eisselen commission was put in place in order to review and to examine what constituted

good education for Africans. The findings of this commission led, in turn, to the introduction

of the Bantu Education Act of 1953. The result of this Act was new racial perspectives that

were viewed as more oppressive than before and this led to resistance to all forms of

apartheid (Barkhuizen, 1998; Mason, 1999; Lodge, 1985: 2, Hartshorne, 1992: 89 – 90. This

continued resistance took various forms such as bus boycotts, consumer boycotts and

school boycotts from the inception of apartheid policies, which followed the Bantu Act of

1953. The 1976 school boycotts signified the declaration of open defiance in respect of both

2

apartheid itself and also apartheid education (Mabiletja, 2008: 2, 22). This defiance, together

with other forms of boycotts, led to the dismantling of the apartheid system in the early 1990s

and paved the way for the 1994 democratic elections in South Africa (Hartshorne, 1992:

203).

The 1994 democratic elections led to a new perspective of looking at society and organising

education that culminated in the adoption of the South African Constitution No 108 of 1996.

The constitution encompasses a Bill of Rights (1996) which emphasises the equality and the

importance of morals and standards in respect of all citizens of South Africa in all spheres of

government. There were new challenges facing the education system of the country. The

education system had to change and curricula had to be designed to meet the 21st century

challenges that learners face globally (Department of Education, 1997(a); Department of

Education, 2002(a); Department of Education, 2002(b); Hawkins, Smith & Catano, 2001: 18

– 27). It was on the basis of the Constitution that the South African Schools Act (SASA) No.

96 of 1996, the White Paper 6 and the abovementioned curriculum policies were developed

and adopted.

A new perspective towards education was introduced when the abovementioned policies

placed the emphasis on a single education system that would transform the country and

provide all learners in South Africa with the opportunity to acquire skills, knowledge, values

and qualifications needed by themselves and the country (Nel, 1995: 533; Fourie, 2005: 17).

These transformation policies encompassed the use of learner and teacher portfolios, annual

work assessment plans and a multitude of pilot projects, administration and paperwork.

There was a need for teachers to be trained and society to be involved in the transformation

of the curriculum and the education system of the country.

Section 4 (b) of the National Education Policy Act No 27 of 1998 states that one of the

objectives of education in South Africa is “enabling the education system to contribute to

higher level thinking and the full personal development of each student, and to the moral,

social, cultural, political and economic development of the nation at large, including the

3

advancement of democracy, human rights and the peaceful resolution of disputes” (Spady,

1994: 19; Department of Education, 1998(b); Onwu & Mogari, 2004; Carless, 2005).

In order to address the ideals of the Constitution, the first OBE approach and Curriculum

2005 (C2005) that were based on the constructivist theory, were adopted in order to facilitate

the process of changing the curriculum and the education system (Spady, 1994: 1;

Bloodworth, Weissberg, Zins & Walberg, 2001: 4; Vally & Spreen, 2003; Du Plessis, 2005:

8). C2005 was based on the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky (Vygotsky, 1962: 4; Vygotsky,

1978:26). This study is therefore informed by the constructivist theories of Piaget and

Vygotsky (defined in this chapter and explained mainly in chapter 3). Outcomes-based

education (OBE), which is referred to as ‘the first OBE approach’ in this study as a whole,

was introduced to the South African education system (Spady, 1994: 41–42; Jansen,

1999(b): 57 – 67; Vakalisa, 2000: 21; Du Plessis, 2005: 2; Department of Education,

2005(a): 1–9), as part of curriculum transformation. The problem observed was that there

seemed to be too much emphasis placed on learner participation, activities and paper

administration by teachers to the detriment of content knowledge and textbooks (Onwu &

Mogari, 2004; Department of Education, 2010(a): 1 – 4; Department of Education, 2010(b): 1

– 2).

.

1.1.2 Rationale for the study South Africa education has been identified as a means of developing people and redressing

the imbalances of the past in order to prepare learners for the best opportunities in life. A

single education system was introduced. Education has therefore become a societal issue

that involves all relevant stakeholders such as teachers, parents, community leaders, non-

governmental organisations, among others, in the process of developing learners and

equipping them with skills, knowledge, values and qualifications needed by them and

society. To transform and implement a new curriculum, the Department of Education

formulated the following general aims and objectives for education in South Africa

(Department of Education, 1998(b): 9; African National Congress, 1994(b); Hawkins, Smith &

Catano, 2001: 18 – 19:

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• To advance and protect the fundamental rights of all

• To contribute to the full personal development of all learners

• To achieve equitable education opportunities and redress imbalances of the past

• To provide opportunities for and to encourage lifelong learning

• To achieve an integrated approach to education and training

• To encourage independent and critical thought

• To promote a culture of respect for teaching and learning in educational institutions

Because of its strong links to the above objectives, the school subject Life Orientation has

been selected for this investigation. It has to do with studying the self and with personal

development in relation to others. It focuses on the personal, social, spiritual, emotional and

general growth of individuals. Thus, Life Orientation aims to develop learners to face the

challenges of life and be productive citizens (Fiske & Ladd, 2004; Hendricks, 2004;

Christiaans, 2006).

Moreover, in order to achieve the abovementioned aims and objectives for education in

South Africa, the Department of Education had to change from the old curriculum called

NATED or Report 550, which focussed on a teacher-centred approach, to a new

constructivist approach to teaching and learning. This led to the introduction of outcomes-

based education (OBE) in South Africa.

In view of the fact that people’s paradigms or perspectives about education had to change, it

was essential that teachers be trained and developed (Pretorius, 1998(a): 1). Through formal

and informal assessment processes, learners had to do different portfolio and assessment

tasks in order to be equipped with new knowledge, skills and values to enable them to

address their educational needs. These include the problems of moral decline that had

emerged during the fight against apartheid. According to Van Deventer (2009: 1) it is

education transformation that brought about the first OBE approach and the new subject

called Life Orientation (LO). OBE replaced the apartheid education that had been traditional,

content and examination-driven, teacher-centred and had viewed learners as “empty jars

5

that had to be filled”. Using the OBE approach to teach and assess was not always easy

because “teachers did not always know how to teach and when to record the assessments”

(Carless, 2005: 39 - 54; Olivier, 1999: 3; Spady, 1988: 4; Fourie, 2005: 21).

The South African government had hoped that OBE would have a positive effect and C2005

would change the perspective on education. It was believed that the first OBE approach

would address the inequalities of apartheid education and transform education (Killen,

2000(a): 1; Mothobi, 2001: 1–3). Therefore, the first OBE approach in South Africa

emphasised the learning outcomes and assessment standards which learners had to

achieve within a learning area or school subject. In addition, OBE later outlined and stressed

the NCS. All the processes of trying to endorse OBE in South Africa encompassed principles

within which a learning area confines itself. However, researchers such as Van der Horst and

McDonald (1997: 6) warned that OBE was attractive only to politicians and policy makers

(Department of Education, 1997(a); Spady, 1994; Department of Education, 2002(a)). Very

little research has been carried out on the impact of the implementation of all the principles of

the NCS.

1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The South African education system incorporates a general NCS which incorporates

educational policy, according to the National Education Policy Act, No. 27 of 1996, ss3 and 4

(in Department of Education, 2005b: 1–9). Each of the 23 official school subjects in the

Further Education and Training (FET) band for schools has its own NCS policy document

which has evolved from the general NCS policy. The NCS policy of each school subject is

designed to impact positively on that specific subject. There seems to be a research gap in

literature because there are subject policy documents, but how the NCS policy of each

school subject impacts on each specific subject (e.g. Life Orientation), has not been

investigated. Therefore, the main research question is: What is the impact of the principles

of the NCS on grade 10 Life Orientation? More specific the research has been undertaken to

determine:

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• What is the impact of the amount of paperwork and administration that teachers have

with the implementation of the principles of the NCS?

• To what extent have the principles of the NCS helped to transform education for

learners?

• What impact did the training received by teachers make with regard to the

implementation of the principles of the NCS?

• To what extent are the principles of the NCS being implemented at schools?

• What is the impact of the implementation of the principles of the NCS on the attitude

of the learners?

• What is the impact of the implementation of the principles of the NCS in terms of

observing the culture of others?

• What is the impact of the implementation of the principles of the NCS on morals,

values and standards, including crime, learner pregnancy and disrespect?


addressing barriers to learning?


equipping learners with the required life skills?

It is against the background covered by the abovementioned questions that the impact of the

principles of the NCS on the Grade 10 school subject of Life Orientation in Gauteng was

evaluated and the gap that exists in the research literature comprises the problem statement

of this study.

1.3 AIMS OF THE RESEARCH

The Department of Education emphasises quality teaching and learning. The aims of this

study are, therefore, to determine the quality of teaching and learning processes taking place

at schools. In the process, challenges that hinder transformation and the implementation of

the principles of the NCS will be identified.

In view of the research questions formulated above, the aims of this study are to determine:

7

• the impact of the amount of paperwork and administration that teachers have with the

implementation of the principles of the NCS;

• to what extent have the principles of the NCS helped to transform education for

learners;

• the impact of the training received by teachers make with regard to the

implementation of the principles of the NCS;

• to what extent are the principles of the NCS being implemented at schools;

• the impact of the implementation of the principles of the NCS on the attitude of the

learners;

• the impact of the implementation of the principles of the NCS in terms of observing the

culture of others;

• the impact of the implementation of the principles of the NCS on morals, values and

standards, including crime, learner pregnancy and disrespect?

• the impact of the implementation of the principles of the NCS in terms of addressing

barriers to learning;

• the impact of the implementation of the principles of the NCS in terms of equipping

learners with the required life skills.

Finally, the study aims to make and present results, recommendations and limitations,

in order to demonstrate the cooperation that is required in equipping the learners with

the skills, knowledge, values and qualifications required by both the learner and the

community or society at large.

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

In this study, subject advisers, principals, teachers, learners, parents, ward councillors and

community organisations dealing with educational matters have been identified as significant

stakeholders because education is a societal issue. Educating the learner has become a

societal issue and goes beyond the four walls of the classroom to the community where the

learner comes from.

8

This study is significant because the results may provide the Department of Education and

the relevant stakeholders with information on the successful implementation (or not) of the

principles of the NCS and thus quality teaching and learning in the schools. Compared to

other studies on the principles of the NCS and Life Orientation as a subject, this study is

unique because it is detailed and comprehensive regarding the implementation of all the

principles of the NCS. The problem with other studies referred to in the literature review that

is presented later, is that they investigate the teaching of Life Orientation as a subject and

not the implementation of the principles of the NCS. There is, therefore, also a lack of

research in the literature review because there is no study that has already investigated the

implementation of all the principles and endorsement of the NCS.

Policy wise:

• The study can assist the Ministry of Basic Education and policy makers in the

Department of Education to develop effective policies and use relevant theories that

will ensure that the implementation of the principles of the NCS is effective.

The teaching and learning process:

• Information on the teaching and learning methods used in the teaching of Life

Orientation can help teachers to prepare quality lessons for their learners.

Theoretically:

• The study can be used to endorse and streamline the current design features of the

NCS.

9

Further research:

Areas that could not be dealt with in this study can be investigated further by other

researchers.

1.5 DEFINITION OF CONCEPTS

The main terms used in this study will be defined in order to ensure clarity for the reader. The

concepts in the title, as well as other key and related concepts, will be defined or explained.

The following are key concepts that will be clarified:

1.5.1 Principles of the NCS The NCS is a political statement about the curriculum of the Republic of South Africa. This

political curriculum statement has principles on which it is based. Each school subject has a

policy document but there is only one NCS.

The main political curriculum statement lays the foundation for the achievement of goals in

all the different subjects in a school. The principles of the NCS are the ethos on which the

political curriculum statement is based. These principles underpin all goals, outcomes and

assessment standards in education (Department of Education, 2003(a): 1; Carless, 2005:

39-54).

1.5.2 Grade 10

Grade 10 is the tenth grade of schooling and it is part of secondary schooling. It comes after

the General Education and Training Band. Grade 10 comprises the first grade of the FET

Band where learners are offered a choice of subjects. Prior to this grade, learners generally

all have the same subjects.

10

1.5.3 Life Orientation The school subject Life Orientation has to do with the study of the self, as well as personal

growth and development in relation to others and the society. Life Orientation focuses on the

personal, social, spiritual, emotional and general growth of the learners (Department of

Education, 2003(b): 9). Life Orientation is a subject that addresses human values, human

rights, and belief systems, amongst others.

1.5.4 Evaluating To evaluate is to judge the results of an event or a process. In this study the impact of

implementing the principles of the NCS is assessed in order to estimate whether the

implementation is making a positive impact or not. The term impact refers to an influence or

effect on something. An impact in the teaching and learning environment can either improve

or weaken the quality of the education of the learners.

1.5.5 Outcomes-based Education (OBE) and Curriculum 2005 (C2005) According to Van der Horst and McDonald (1997: 7) OBE is an approach that focuses on the

end result. In the teaching and learning process, the teacher gives learners activities that will

lead them to the end result.

According to Bengu, the first Minister of Education after the 1994 elections, the perspective

of introducing Curriculum 2005 (C2005) was to transform the education system in South

Africa by encouraging critical thinking and a sense of responsibility on the part of all learners.

C2005 was seen as a vehicle through which OBE could be implemented. Through the

subject Life Orientation, the first OBE approach, C2005, and later the streamlined NCS,

aimed at equipping learners and giving them an opportunity to address their challenges by

participating in their learning as they grow towards adulthood (Bender & Lombard, 2004:88;

Ngcobo, 2002:96). At this stage, it is important to point out that overemphasis on books,

common lesson plans, tests and examinations as outlined in the latest changes to the NCS,

11

could limit learner participation and put the focus back on the teacher in the learning

environment (Department of Education, 2010(a); Department of Education, 2010(b)).

1.5.6 Learning programmes

Learning programmes comprise the structured and systematic arrangement of learning

activities. A teacher prepares a lesson plan using a learning programme (Van der Horst &

McDonald, 2003: 49; Bosman, 2006: 12). The principles of the NCS are implemented

through learning programmes, which consist of possible learning materials and

methodologies by means of which learners are able to realise agreed-upon learning

outcomes. These learning programmes are based on the NCS policy for each school subject

and are prepared by the schools. In addition, the Ministry of Basic Education (as will be

seen in chapter 3), has a responsibility to provide lesson plans as part of learner support

materials to the schools.

1.5.7 Critical outcomes

Critical outcomes refer to generic, cross-curricular, broad outcomes that focus on the

capacity to apply knowledge, skills, values and qualifications in an integrated way. They are

performance indicators which serve as the standard to be applied during assessment

practices. The NQF has determined the cross-field outcomes and competences which are to

be infused into the learning outcomes for different fields of education and/or labour (Van der

Horst & McDonald, 2003: 47; Carless, 2005: 39 - 54).

1.5.8 Teaching methods Teaching methods are defined in various ways by educationalists. For purposes of this

study, teaching methods are separated from teaching approaches or strategies, namely, the

deductive and inductive approaches. In this study, teaching methods, their characteristics

and implications they may have for the implementation of the principles of the NCS are

discussed. The rest of the teaching methods that are discussed in this study depend on

12

whether the teacher chooses to approach a lesson deductively or inductively. The definitions

of the deductive and inductive approaches or strategies are given in chapter 4. Thus,

teaching methods are defined as the means by which skills, knowledge, values and

qualifications are imparted to learners. Without knowledge of different learning theories and

teaching methods there is little chance that the principles of the NCS can have a positive

impact in the teaching and learning situation (Department of Education, 1997(a): 1;

Lebeloane, 1998: 103- 107; Nieman & Monyai, 2006: 106). 1.5.9 Constructivism

Constructivism is a teaching and learning theory that was coined by Piaget and later

developed by Vygotsky (Vygotsky, 1962: 4; Vygotsky, 1978 26). From a constructivist

perspective, learning is an active process of constructing meaning and transforming

understanding in interaction with the environment. Strategies include negotiating meanings

with students, class discussion, small-group collaboration, teaching in contexts that are

personally meaningfully to students, and valuing meaningful activity over correct answers.

1.5.10 Teacher

According to the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (2008: 468), a teacher is a person

whose job it is to teach. However, such a person is also seen as an expert in the theories of

learning and teaching (Fourie, 2005: 18). Teachers are the pillars of educational reform and

transformation and they also form the core of such reform and transformation (Ramatsui,

2006: 27). Without teachers no meaningful transformation in either the teaching or the

learning processes would be possible because the envisaged outcomes may not be realised.

.

1.5.11 Curriculum and curriculum framework The term “curriculum” refers to all aspects of teaching and learning – the learning areas and

fields offered by an institution. The term also refers to the way in which content is designed

13

and delivered. In this study, how the curriculum is designed, changed and implemented, is

explained in one of the following chapters.

A curriculum framework refers to a set of philosophical and organisational frameworks for a

specific curriculum. A curriculum framework creates a perspective of what teachers teach,

what learners learn and what teachers use to teach and assess the learners.

1.5.12 National Qualifications Framework (NQF)

The NQF refers to the framework which has been approved by the Minister of Education for

the registration of national standards and qualifications. Many of the models referred to in

this study have a NQF, which is a structure according to which a system of education is

structured from the lowest grade to the highest qualification. The Department of Education

(1997(a): 17) as well as Jansen 1999 (a) agree that the purpose of such a structure is to link

educational qualifications to training qualifications in an integrated way.

1.5.13 Assessment in the NCS subjects

NCS assessment may be defined as a process of collecting, analysing and interpreting

information that will assist the learners, teachers, parents and stakeholders in education.

Assessment in the NCS subjects is part of the formal curriculum.

In this study the focus is on the teaching of Life Orientation at Grade 10 level. Life

Orientation starts in Grade R, which is the level at which education begins in South Africa. At

the levels of both Grade R and the Foundation Phase (Grades 1, 2 and 3) learners are

exposed to Life Skills. From Grades 4 to 12 Life Skills forms part of the wider field of Life

Orientation.

14

1.6 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

A study is conducted because the researcher wishes to provide answers to questions that

could impact on the knowledge and understanding of people. Research may be defined as

the careful and systematic study of a subject or of something in order to discover new facts

or information (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 2008:1242).

Educational research may adopt either a qualitative or a quantitative approach or both

(mixed-methods). The method of research adopted is determined by the nature of the study

to be undertaken. As stated earlier, the purposed of conducting this study is to evaluate the

impact of the implementation of the principles of the NCS on grade 10 Life Orientation. In

this study a mixed-methods approach is used because the research problem and questions

of the study can be best answered through the use of both the quantitative and the

qualitative approaches (Creswell, 2003: 4; McMillan & Schumacher, 2010: 67). The

researcher could, therefore, not use only one research method because both the qualitative

and the quantitative approaches to research add value to answering the research questions.

The use of a mixed-methods design in this study is further based on Henning, van Rensburg

& Smit’s (2004: 153) statement that in conducting research, the quantitative approach deals

with numerical data while the qualitative approach focuses on the presentation of facts in a

narrative form. A mixed-methods approach is, therefore, used to ensure the cross-checking

of information and to enhance the validity and reliability of the findings.

1.6.1 Quantitative research

Creswell (1998:42), states that in quantitative research the literature provides direction for

the research questions. Quantitative research is thus generally deductive. In the quantitative

phase a survey design is the most appropriate design for the collection of information and

opinions from a group of respondents. A descriptive survey is also helpful in gathering

detailed descriptions of information about existing conditions. Questionnaires are used to

collect data, as will be seen in chapter 5.

15

1.6.2 Qualitative research

Qualitative research is generally inductive. In this study, an attempt was made to search for

true knowledge about the views of respondents with regard to the implementation of the

principles of the NCS (Mouton, 1996: 28). Qualitative research may also be defined as a

systematic process which involves investigating and collecting facts and information about

something in narrative form (Henning et al., 2004: 153). In the qualitative phase of the

research observation checklists and interviews are used as instruments of collecting

information from respondents. The information collected through interviews and observation

is used to complement the information gathered through questionnaires.

In the study, new information was acquired on the impact made by the principles of the NCS

on Grade 10 Life Orientation with regard to teaching and equipping learners with the required

skills, values, knowledge and qualifications needed when they leave the education system.

By adopting a mixed-methods approach the researcher was able to collect and analyse

qualitative data in addition to the quantitative data mentioned above.

1.7 THE DIVISION OF CHAPTERS CHAPTER ONE The first chapter provides the introduction and background to the study. It contains the

rationale for the study, the problem statement and research questions, aims and definition of

concepts, as well as the research design.

CHAPTER TWO

This chapter provides a review of literature on the transformation of the education system. In

particular it focuses on outcomes-based education and curriculum 2005. .

16

CHAPTER THREE

Chapter three explains two diverse perspectives that influenced the implementation of OBE

in South Africa, namely positivism and constructivism.

CHAPTER FOUR

Chapter four also focuses on Life Orientation in Grade 10. Different teaching strategies used

in Life Orientation, including discussion, group-work, co-operative learning, problem solving,

research and electronic learning are explained as well as the principles of the NCS in Life

Orientation.

CHAPTER FIVE

Chapter five focuses on the research design and data collection methods. In this chapter,

the mixed-methods approach (which involves both a quantitative and a qualitative approach

to collecting data), is delineated.

CHAPTER SIX This chapter discusses the presentation of the results and the interpretation of the data.

Thus, the results of data collected through questionnaires, interviews and observations are

presented.

CHAPTER SEVEN In this chapter, conclusions in line with the major results are presented. In addition,

recommendations of the study are offered. Finally, the limitations of the study are

highlighted.

17

1.8 SUMMARY

Chapter one presented an overview of the study. The purpose of this study is to evaluate

the impact of the principles of the NCS on grade 10 Life Orientation and the factors that

hinder its implementation at schools. The chapter focused on the rationale for the study,

problem statement and research questions, aims of the research and its significance, the

definition of concepts and the research design.

In the next chapter, chapter two, a review of the theoretical framework of the study is given.

The focus is on educational policies and models of outcomes-based education.

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CHAPTER 2 THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM: OUTCOMES-BASED EDUCATION, CURRICULUM 2005 AND THE NCS

2.1 INTRODUCTION

The first chapter provided an overview of and rationale for the study as well as the research

questions. This chapter presents a theoretical framework of the study and the background

that led to the 1996 Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, the South African Schools

Act (SASA) and the National Education Policy Act (NEPA), also of 1996. The first OBE

approach and the principles thereof are outlined in the chapter. The introduction of OBE,

C2005 and the infusion of the NCS into the old FET curriculum called NATED or Report 550,

are all discussed.

2.2 THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD IN SOUTH AFRICA

Prior to 1994, education in South Africa was racially segregated by legislation. This resulted

in many black people not receiving an adequate education (Du Plessis, 2005: 1). The

apartheid education system was characterised by the NATED or Report 550 curriculum

policy that was both discriminatory and centralised. As stated in chapter 1, this education

system exacerbated the negative perceptions of black education and political tensions that

culminated in political strikes throughout South Africa. The inferior education received by

black people was one of the factors that led to the political resistance that ultimately resulted

in the democratic general elections of 1994.

In the post-apartheid South Africa, the major challenge was, therefore, to dismantle the

previous black education. From the initial process of introducing the first OBE approach in

South Africa up to the endorsement of the NCS by the Minister of Basic Education

(Department of Education, 2010(a); Department of Education, 2010(b)), the department

19

hoped that there would be a positive impact made by the curriculum changes from NATED

550 to the current NCS. The Department of Education also had to address the educational

challenges such as racial divisions at schools and inferior education where it continued to

exist (Department of Education, 2001(a)).

2.3 THE CONSTITUTION OF 1996

The general elections of 1994 ushered in new perspectives and paradigms in both the

political arena and in education circles in South Africa. A new Constitution (in Republic of

South Africa, 1996(a)), as well as other progressive policies such as a Bill of Rights and the

National Education Policy Act (NEPA), were introduced. Both the Constitution of the

Republic of South Africa of 1996 and the education policies aimed at transforming the

curriculum and the education system along perspectives and paradigms that would enable

South African citizens to participate globally. The problem of looking at things along

apartheid perspectives was that apartheid views were limited to South Africa.

According to this study, the way in which the principles of the NCS were designed was

meant to guarantee that education would be transformed for the benefit of all learners,

teachers and the South African society. The implementation of the principles of the NCS

was critical to ensure the attainment of skills, knowledge, values and qualifications

regardless of race, gender or religion, in accordance with the Bill of Rights. Therefore, the

new perspective of the government that had implications for the curriculum was that

education was a societal issue that should involve learners, teachers, parents and other

stakeholders in society. Contrary to the centralised perspective of the apartheid approach to

education, when the first OBE approach was introduced, the government accepted that it

could not design and manage education and curriculum change alone. Therefore, in

endorsing the current NCS, it is important to note that any centralisation of education and the

curriculum could mean a shift from the aims presented in chapter 2 of the Constitution of the

Republic of South Africa (Department of Education, 1996).

20

2.3.1 The Bill of Rights

The Bill of Rights led to a new perspective of looking at things and was introduced as part of

the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. These rights call for a curriculum that

protects and enshrines the rights of all South Africans to human dignity, equality and

freedom. To this end, access to education also features in the Bill of Rights (Department of

Education,1996: Chapter 2) and the policies of both the Department of Education and the

ANC as the ruling party (Department of Education, 2001(a); African National Congress,

1992; African National Congress, 1994(a); African National Congress, 1994(b)).

The South African Schools Act (SASA) No. 96 of 1996 evolved from the South African

Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The positive impact of the principles of the NCS should,

therefore, enhance the quality of the curriculum offered to learners; this effect is the topic

under investigation in this study. The principles of the NCS are there to ensure that all

learners are equipped with the skills, knowledge, values and qualifications needed by the

learners and the country. These are skills and virtues that are necessary in the global world

and which are laid down in the SASA. The school subject Life Orientation was introduced

mainly to help support the process. As part of the first OBE approach, it was hoped that the

subject Life Orientation would enable learners to face the challenges of life and be

meaningful citizens in society (Department of Education, 1997(a); Jansen, 1998; Botha,

2002; Department of Education, 2002(a); Department of Education, 2002(b); Fiske & Ladd,

2004; Hendricks, 2004; Christiaans, 2006).

2.4 THE SOUTH AFRICAN SCHOOLS ACT (SASA)

2.4.1 Aims and objectives of the South African Schools Act (SASA)

By virtue of the South African Schools Act (SASA), No. 96 of 1996, the state aimed at

involving parents, learners and members of society in educational matters. This is in

accordance with the perspective that education is a societal issue that must involve all

21

stakeholders. This can help to ensure that the values and principles of democracy are

upheld.

2.4.2 Values and principles of democracy in education

As indicated above, the new perspective was to infuse the values and principles of

democracy into the education system. Education is a societal issue that stems from the

Bill of Rights in the Constitution (in Republic of South Africa of 1996(a). The aim of infusing

values and the principles of democracy into education is to redress the inequalities that still

exist in education due to the racial policy divisions of the apartheid education system of the

past. New values in education, based on the Bill of Rights, the National Education Policy Act

(NEPA) and the Life Orientation policy documents are now promoted. When curriculum

designers and schools draw up curriculum policies, they are required to base them on

democratic principles of NEPA and other democratic governance and curriculum guidelines

(Republic of South Africa, 1996(a), Chapter 2; Republic of South Africa 1996 (c); National

Education Policy Act No. 27 in Department of Education, 1996).

2.4.3 The rights of the learners to basic education

In the new education system built on principles of democracy, the rights of learners to basic

education are realised through learner-centeredness. While the teacher is important, the

focus should be on the learner. Moreover, parents and stakeholders in society must help to

ensure that the learner is in class and taught every day. The policies of the education

system is aimed at ensuring that it is possible for all learners to learn and realise the learning

outcomes by attaining the required skills, knowledge, values and qualifications.

2.4.4 The education system is transformed

Political and educational perspectives guide curriculum transformation. The focus of these

particular perspectives is that curriculum changes will take place until all the aims of

transforming education in South Africa are met. The before mentioned means that education

22

would be transformed by its shifting from a base of Christian principles to a base of

constructivist principles (as briefly defined in chapter 1). If looked at from the point of view of

this aim of ongoing transformation, then, the endorsement of the NCS by the Minister of

Basic Education is understood. Parents, communities and other stakeholders in society are

involved in the transformation of the curriculum and the education system and all learners

should have access to education as laid down in the Bill of Rights, as mentioned.

As an ongoing process of transforming education and the curriculum, on 6 July 2010, the

department of education informed the teacher unions and the public that the teacher

workload and the number of subjects had been reduced. Contrary to the first OBE

approach, the endorsement of the NCS implied that the focus should now be on teaching

and learning and not on administration and paperwork. Although the announcements of the

curriculum and administration changes in education were welcomed by unions and society

as “the last nail in the coffin of OBE”, only the workload seems to have been reduced.

Although different from the first OBE approach, the NCS is still characterised by outcomes-

based features. Consultation by the Minister of Basic Education also endorsed the

government’s approach that education is a societal issue.

In transforming the education system, all relevant stakeholders must be involved. It is

expected that there will be a partnership between the state and the relevant stakeholders in

society (Department of Education, 1997(a), Department of Education, 1997(b); Department

of Education, 1997(c); Onwu & Mogari, 2004).

2.5 THE NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY ACT (NEPA) OF 1996

As part of the transformation of the education system, the National Education Policy Act No.

27 of 1996 (NEPA) (Department of Education, 1998(b): 9), constituted one of the education

policies that emerged from the Constitution and which operates alongside the South African

Schools Act (SASA) (in Republic of South Africa,1996(c)). NEPA forms the backbone of all

the education policies in terms of which the new perspective is used to implement the

principles of the NCS.

23

2.5.1 The aims and objectives of education in South Africa

NEPA was a new perspective to transform the system of education and implement the

curriculum. The new policies are mentioned in this chapter. This meant a single education

system (as stated in chapter 1) with the following aims and objectives:

2.5.1.1 Advancing and protecting the fundamental rights of all

As stated in both chapter 1 and this chapter, education became a fundamental right of all in

South Africa. To protect this right, parents are compelled by law to enrol their children in

school for at least the school-going ages. These are between six and sixteen years. It was

mentioned in chapter 1 that parents and stakeholders are required to be involved in the

process of changing the education system of the country. The state also promotes learning

in that it provides support materials (teaching and learning resources) to both teachers and

learners (African National Congress, 1994(b)).

2.5.1.2 Contributing to the full personal development of all learners

In contributing to the full personal development of all learners, the training of teachers is very

important so that they can prepare and implement quality teaching and assessment plans.

Thus, when the first OBE approach was introduced, the focus was on the learner, who was

to be developed in order to participate fully in the society. It was for such reasons that the

first OBE approach, C2005 and the NCS were based on the constructivist theories of Piaget

and Vygotsky (Vygotsky, 1962: 4; Vygotsky, 1978: 26).

As stated in chapter 1, constructivism as a theory was used and referred to in the training

documents and policies of the department when OBE was first introduced to teachers.

Constructivism focuses on the teaching and learning environment to encourage learners to

take part and be responsible for their own learning. Constructivism was the philosophy of

different polices. Different forms of assessment were also used to assess how learners

developed. Although constructivist approaches to the teaching and learning environment

24

does not rigidly emphasise content, textbooks, tests and examinations, these resources and

strategies are also used to allow learners to develop. Urban schools are in a better position

to offer OBE curricula because they have better available resources than rural schools

(Singh & Manser, 2000: 109-114).

As stated in chapter 1, the latest endorsement of the NCS first seemed to be a direct

contradiction to constructivist approaches to the learning environment and the first radical

OBE.

2.5.1.3 Achieving equitable education opportunities and redress the past

The vision of the Department of Education and the Gauteng province is to equip learners

with the skills, knowledge, values and qualifications needed by them and the country. The

aim is that the learners would be best prepared for opportunities in adult life (Department of

Education, 1997(a); Jansen, 1998; Botha, 2002; Department of Education, 2002(a);

Department of Education, 2002(b); Fiske & Ladd, 2004; Hendricks, 2004; Christiaans, 2006).

This means that the task of teaching learners and equipping them so that they can have

equal opportunities in life is not left to the teacher and the Department of Education alone.

Parents and all stakeholders in education and society must be involved. The learner is

influenced by both the school and society from which the learner comes. It is only through

effective participation by all, that past imbalances can be redressed. This new perspective

indicates that education is a societal issue and not the responsibility of education institutions

only.

2.5.1.4 Providing opportunities for and encouraging lifelong learning

Providing opportunities for and encouraging lifelong learning is another important aim of

NEPA. The problem with the curriculum transformation process is that the NCS curriculum

which is based on OBE principles is being transformed but the philosophy and the principles

of the NCS remain those of OBE. Without transforming the principles on which the NCS

curriculum is based, the curriculum cannot be effectively transformed because the

25

philosophy of the curriculum has not been changed. The researcher argues that there is a

difference between transforming and simply reducing subjects and the workload of teachers.

For instance, the change from the rigid content and examination based curriculum of the

apartheid era to the first OBE approach was a radical change that overhauled the education

system in South Africa.

The aim of the NEPA on lifelong learning was that Learning Outcomes (LOs) and

assessment standards in the various subject policies would be designed in such a way that

learning would not only be limited to the classroom. It is, therefore, important to ensure that

teaching and learning within the classroom is not overemphasized at the expense of lifelong

learning. It is for such reasons that the philosophy of an education system must be clear and

known to those involved. Learners, teachers, parents and society are encouraged to

continue reading, as well as attending short-term enrichment and skills courses.

Overemphasis on textbooks, common tests and examinations could contradict and weaken

the principles upon which the NCS is grounded.

2.5.1.5 Achieving an integrated approach to education and training

According to Section 29 of the Bill of Rights in the Constitution (in Republic of South Africa,

1996(a)), the curriculum aims to effectively equip learners for both a career path and higher

education. Teachers are, therefore, expected to be well-trained and skilled to prepare

lessons and assessment plans that will ensure that the NCS policy of each school subject

impacts positively on that specific subject. When the NCS policies of the different subjects

impact on each subject in a school, learners should be able to learn and also take part in

activities that train them to gain skills, knowledge and values that are required.

The above is a shift from a rigid, teacher-focused approach to the teaching and learning

environment. For the NCS policy of each subject to impact positively on that specific subject,

there are formal and informal activities to help learners gain skills, knowledge, values and

qualification as expected by society, as opposed to rote learning by learners. Improving the

curriculum without ensuring an integrated approach to education and training could isolate

26

the curriculum from training and skills. Integrating education and training starts through

active participation in formal and informal activities that develop and equip the learner.

2.5.1.6 Encouraging independent and critical thought

An overemphasis on books, tests, examinations and teachers imparting knowledge, is in line

with a philosophy that views the learner as an empty vessel that must be filled. As stated in

chapter 1 of this study, learners must be actively involved in their learning and not only

through responding to questions asked by their teachers. The aim of NEPA is to help

learners participate in a learning environment that encourages them to ask questions and not

simply be receptive to what their teachers present to them. If improving the NCS included

the empowerment of teachers, teachers would be confident in doing their work. They would

be able to use content and relevant assessment activities to encourage independent and

critical thinking. This researcher argues that the problem was that the NCS was improved

but the teachers remained the same.

2.5.1.7 Promoting a culture of respect for teaching and learning in education institutions

As stated, access to education is a basic right of all learners and it is a right which is laid

down in the Bill of Rights. Learners are expected to be committed to their education and not

be disruptive in the teaching and learning environment. Infrastructure and learning facilities

must also be well looked after. The perspective of the education system is to provide

opportunities that will lead to the development of all learners. This development of learners is

expected to take place in stable learning institutions. This study will determine if, while the

NCS is effective, principals and the schools management teams who must manage both the

changes and the new version of OBE are appropriately trained.

The aims and objectives of this new NCS include critical outcomes that must be realised by

ensuring that learners develop critical thinking skills. The subject Life Orientation is

considered to be the most important subject with regard to ensuring that education becomes

27

a societal issue and learners develop holistically as was the intention when the first OBE

approach and C2005 were introduced.

2.6 THE NEED FOR TEACHER TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

The principles of the NCS for Life Orientation are aimed at transforming education and

getting rid of the inequalities which were created by the former education departments

(Pretorius, 1998(a): 1–12). The principles of the NCS for Life Orientation incorporate ideals,

norms and standards that require trained teachers. However, one identified problem is that

teachers who have not been well trained and were not able to teach the other subjects

offered by schools have been given Life Orientation to teach (Toddun, 2000: 5).

According to Pithouse (2001: 155-157), the OBE training workshops conducted by the

department of education were poor because there was no proper planning by those who

trained the teachers. The concerns and requests of teachers were also not addressed.

Moreover, Fleisch and Potenza (1999) point out that the South African model of using

training workshops in the afternoons and on Saturdays and then cascading the information to

teachers was very limited to change teachers and their teaching practices. Teacher training

and development is therefore a major problem in the subject Life Orientation.

Evans (2002) as well as Grosser and de Waal (2008) warn that, if teachers are not well-

trained and they do not understand how to implement the principles of the NCS, the learner’s

education will be impeded. This would be contrary to the principles of the NCS for Life

Orientation and the Norms and Standards for Education (Department of Education, 1997(c)).

The new ideals, norms, standards and transformation aim to create equal opportunities for all

learners and for all sections of the population. It is for this reason that the lack of or poor

training for the NCS could lead to below standard implementation. This could contribute to

the inability of principals and school management teams to manage the transformation of

education which the South African society is expecting (Fullan, 2001: 4 Jansen & Christie,

1999: 9).

28

According to Boshoff (2007: 42) well-trained principals and school management teams would

be able to adopt different management styles in order to motivate teachers to increase their

effectiveness. Teachers also need to be trained and supported so as to develop and project

a feeling of self-confidence. Thus, they would be respected as skilled by the learners in their

classrooms, and by parents and other stakeholders in education (Department of Education,

2003(b): 2; Mbeje, 2007: 60). This shows that, in order to avoid impeding the learner’s

education and retarding the transformation in education, it is essential that teachers, who are

central to the transformation process, are effectively trained to implement the principles of

the NCS, for example in Life Orientation.

Teachers are the pillars in an education system. The point of view of this study is that the

creation of an environment that promotes lifelong learning and the development of learners

and citizens require highly trained and skilled teachers. Without them Life Orientation could

not have the required positive impact (Ramatsui, 2006: 27). Providing teachers with

common lesson plans and new textbooks without training them how to use these resources

does not address the needs of learners.

2.7 OUTCOMES-BASED EDUCATION (OBE)

As the country was approaching the final years of the apartheid rule, the perspectives of

society changed. It was essential that the education system that had been designed based

on perspectives that divided the society should undergo a transformation. This did happen in

the change from the apartheid system of education to the introduction of the first OBE

approach.

According to Mahomed (2001: 16) and Killen (2000(b)), OBE answers questions about why

and what all learners should learn. In an attempt to address why and what all learners in the

country should learn, the first OBE was introduced in 1998. This OBE was later based on

C2005 as a vehicle that would help to implement it within a target period of 5 years, after this

period there would there would be a review of the curriculum implementation process (Van

29

Deventer 2009: 1; Jansen, 1998: 2). The researcher argues that from the first OBE

approach, C2005 that followed immediately thereafter, the Revised NCS in the GET, the

infusion of OBE in the FET schools, as well as the current invigorating of the NCS

announced by the Minister of Basic Education, are all attempts at transforming OBE and the

curriculum for the South African context. The fact that all these curriculum changes are

attempts to move away from OBE is strengthened by Jansen (1998), Botha (2002); Fiske

and Ladd (2004) as well as Todd and Mason (2005) who argue that the NCS is an

outcomes-based system based on a learner-centred pedagogy.

2.7.1 The process of the implementation of outcomes-based education (OBE) in South Africa

The first OBE approach in South Africa may be defined as a radical curriculum change and a

shift from a content-driven approach to an outcomes-driven approach to education. This view

is supported by the Department of Education (1997(a): 6), Lubisi, Wedekind, Parker and

Gultig (1997: 8) and Fourie (2005: 23) who argue that OBE represents a paradigm shift in

the curriculum while at the same time it envisaged a positive impact on education by

transiting from the old education system of apartheid to the new system of OBE. It also aims

at transforming both the curriculum and the lives of South African citizens by equipping them

with skills, values, knowledge and the qualification needed by the world of work (Department

of Education, 1997(a); Jansen, 1998; Department of Education, 2002(a); Department of

Education, 2002(b)). According to Fourie (2005: 24) the expected impact of OBE was to be

found in the fact that, in a teaching and learning situation, both the teachers and the learners

focus on the desired outcomes. In this study, it is argued that if the principles of the NCS

were implemented at schools, they would have brought about the desired shift in the

curriculum and the education system as a whole. Critical and desired learning outcomes

would have been reached (Fiske & Ladd, 2004; Vandeyar & Killen 2003;Hendricks, 2004;

Christiaans, 2006).

It is important to indicate that in 1997, the education transformation process led to the

training in OBE of national and provincial teams. One of the principles of OBE included in the

30

NCS states that learners must attain the skills, knowledge and values necessary in South

Africa. In line with the ideals of OBE and the NCS is that teachers needed to be trained to

ensure that they would be able to implement the principles of the NCS and OBE in order to

teach learners to become critical thinkers. The problem, as emphasized by Van Deventer

(2009: 127) is the fact that schools do not always have qualified teachers to teach Life

Orientation. The implication is, therefore, that the desired growth and development of

learners do not take place.

In order to realise the anticipated ideal of good education as envisaged by the education

authorities, teachers are expected to inculcate critical thinking, and the requisite skills,

knowledge and values. The teachers must be capable of supporting learners in all their

subjects. All newly developed subject statements in the NCS are infused with the principles

and practices of social and environmental justice and human rights as defined in the

Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (s4(a) (i) and (ii) (Department of Education,

1996). This ‘good’ education aims at the upliftment of the social, ethical, moral and spiritual

fibre of society as a whole. The implementation of the first principle of the NCS, which is

based on cognitive and social constructivist theories, aims at the transformation of society

and its people. It is, thus, no coincidence that the South African Schools Act is based on the

tenets of our valued Constitution.

According to the departmental policies referred to in chapter 1 and in this chapter, the first

OBE approach was introduced in order to equip all learners with essential democratic

principles, knowledge, skills and values. This, in turn, is in line with constructivism which is

rooted in both the cognitive and social schools of psychology and in the theories of Piaget

and Vygotsky, which reject the didactic notion that the learner is a blank slate. However,

while some studies saw the introduction of OBE and C2005 as progressive, Jansen (1998:

13) and Chisholm (2000: 16) consistently argued that OBE was confusing and was unlikely

to succeed in South African schools because, even in America where OBE originated, it has

not been successful.

31

As already mentioned in this chapter, the learner is no longer able simply to receive

knowledge from the teacher in the classroom. The views of the constructivist theorists are

considered in the National Education Policy Act (NEPA), No. 27 of 1996 (in Republic of

South Africa, 1996(b)), in terms of not only taking into account the academic performance of

learners but also their thinking, intellectual adaptation, interaction, problem-solving skills,

sense of responsibility, behaviour and interaction with the surrounding culture and social

agents such as parents and peers. It is essential that learners acquire some knowledge of

each other’s cultures and that they are assisted to create a new culture in the South African

society.

The NCS of 2002 was designed with the sole purpose of ensuring and protecting the highest

good of our nation. The overview document of the NCS incorporates OBE and, thus, does

not depart from the essence of OBE. The document focuses on learning outcomes and

assessment standards, which comprise the content of the curriculum. The researcher’s

summarised version of the essence of the first OBE approach and the NCS now follows.

The NCS curriculum intends to have a positive impact on the education of the learners by

promoting learner participation. Learner participation in cultural events is encouraged to

enable learners to communicate and to appreciate each other’s culture and values. It is

hoped that this, in turn, will address the country’s moral decline, values and standards.

Teachers and officials need to be skilled in order to create equal a learning environment

where learners will develop the necessary multilingualism and communication skills. It is

therefore essential that teachers be well-trained and supported so that they are able to act as

role models as they assist in raising both the literacy and the numeracy levels of their

learners.

In 2005 the purpose of training was to enable the teams that were responsible for giving

guidance, to coach district officials and some FET teachers. These training workshops were

based on constructivist theories that encouraged learner participation. The question arises if

the training of teachers through afternoon workshops has been sufficient to make a positive

impact on education. These training workshops and information sessions were intended to

32

promote learner participation which was to be one of the significant changes in education

after the democratic elections of 1994 in South Africa.

Teachers were compelled to change their role to that of facilitating education so that the

learners could be actively engaged in creation and development of their own skills,

knowledge, values and qualifications. However, without proper training teachers, they would

most unlikely be able to facilitate learning through active learner participation. Compared to

a rigid teacher-centred approach to teaching and learning, learner participation has a major

impact on changing how learning takes place in the classroom. According to Bhana,

Brookes, Makiwane and Naidoo (2005: 4) there has been poor or no support for teachers to

implement Life Orientation effectively. Bhana et al. (2005: 4) state: “The majority of teachers

do not seem to have received training and support ….” Without the appropriate training of

teachers and the school management teams of schools the first OBE approach could not

have the required positive impact in terms of the construction of skills, knowledge and values

in line with the implementation of the principles of the NCS.

The curriculum has to be successfully implemented. For the implementation of the principles

of the NCS to make a positive impact on the education of learners, it would require that these

principles be integrated across all subjects. This, in turn, requires an extremely high degree

of skill on the part of the teachers. Without proper teacher training teachers are likely to be

caught up in an excessive use of integration in the lessons, which could cause confusion and

undermine the attainment of learning outcomes (Brophy & Alleman, 1991:66).

Notwithstanding the apparent problems, the integration and implementation of the principles

of the NCS at schools remain critical.

In 2006 the NCS was introduced in order to lay a solid cognitive and social constructivist

foundation for lifelong learning and different career paths (Department of Education, 2005(b):

1). However, in South Africa, it is distressingly common to hear about teachers who become

demotivated and demoralised each time a new element is introduced into the curriculum.

The question facing the Department of Education is if the principles of the NCS are being

33

effectively implemented and integrated into the teaching and learning processes in

classrooms, for example in Life Orientation.

According to Grosser and de Waal (2008: 42), in terms of the new curriculum, teachers are

unable to mediate in the classroom, as neither the requisite curriculum and management

systems, nor the policies, are yet in place (Mothata, 2000: 23). The challenge of making an

impact in education is further complicated by the decades of unequal distribution of both

human and material resources and, hence, the majority of schools are either still under-

resourced or rundown or both.

According to Davidoff and Lazarus (1997: 4), the cognitive and social construction of

knowledge is made even more difficult because many schools are still overcrowded and

without the required equipment and sporting facilities. Curriculum practices and programmes

are neither cognitively nor socially equitable, nor are they aligned with the provincial and

national strategies for curriculum and human development (Gauteng Institute for Educational

Development [GIED], 2005: 1).

The implementation of the principles of the NCS in Grade 10 in 2007 raised numerous

problems. There was no resultant impact on the teaching and learning of the learners

because neither the teaching nor the learning were happening in the cognitive and

constructive way as had been envisaged by the policies of the Department of Education. The

principles of the NCS were not being realised. Even now there may still be discrepancies

between the policies of the Department of Education and the practices of the teachers in the

classrooms. Principals and teachers may not always be as supportive as is expected by the

education policies.

There is no guarantee that schools will succeed in implementing the principles of the NCS.

The NCS, with its constructivist principles, aims at supporting and developing learners to

their full potential. However, the problem of teachers not being trained well to teach the new

curriculum makes it debatable whether the implementation of the principles of the NCS will

help to build the sustainable communities that are required in the 21st century (Souls, 2005:

34

1). This may imply that enforcing social constructivism and the principles of the NCS could

result in failure of the new education system (Fritz, 1994: 81). Fritz (1994: 81) warns that “the

top-down approach to OBE outcomes could fail just as top-down management objectives

failed before”. The implementation of the principles of the NCS in order to produce learners

who will be capable of attaining the critical outcomes remains a considerable challenge

(Green, 2001: 129–140).

This study will show that, for the successful implementation of the NCS and its principles, all

relevant stakeholders in education “‘must be cooperating partners both in the social and

cognitive construction and development’ of the curriculum” (Van der Horst & McDonald,

1997: 7; Education Information Centre [EIC], 1996). In support of this view, Marris (in Fullan,

2001: 31) contends that teachers are not able to assimilate innovation and change in the

education system if they do not share in the meaning of such innovation and change.

2.7.2 Models of outcomes-based education (OBE)

As stated in this chapter, the new political dispensation in South Africa replaced the old

content-based rote learning curriculum with OBE. In this study, this version of OBE is

referred to as the “first OBE approach”.

There are varying models of managing curriculum and assessment in schools. For example,

OBE in the United States of America (USA) differ from that in Australia, Canada, and New

Zealand. The models of OBE in the different countries differ in theory, interpretation and

application in schools. The problem with the South African model of OBE seems to be the

fact that it was a conglomeration of different types of OBE from the countries mentioned

above. Differences also arise as a result of different political perspectives and choices. The

outcomes, assessment standards and criteria by the education departments of different

countries are also influenced politically. Some concepts, both in the curriculum and in

society, also mean different things to people in different countries. The differences in

concepts and application can lead to less content being covered, as was the case in the

South African context of implementing OBE.

35

The South African model of the curriculum, including the NCS, is grounded in the OBE

approaches of other countries. It is therefore important to explain the varying models of OBE

to gain insight in the South African model (in Jansen, 1999(a): 77). This will aid our

understanding of the impact of the implementation of the NCS in Life Orientation.

2.7.2.1 The Australian model

The Australian approach to teaching and learning is much closer to Vygostky’s

Constructivism theory than some of the other models. Teachers design activities that cross

levels and learners are expected to operate at different levels in the process of achieving the

outcomes. The South African model of OBE borrowed features and characteristics from the

Australian model, when it referred to “learners who perform at their own pace”. Both the

Australian and the South African models of OBE seemed to have outcomes frameworks that

were constructed along constructivist approaches. Both the Australian and the South African

theoretical models of OBE allow for governments to provide a framework of principles for

teaching and management while in-service training and support for teachers are provided by

the departments of education. While there has been a good supply of learning support

materials in the South African schools, effective in-service training and support for teachers

have been lacking (Malcolm in Jansen, 1999(a): 82).

It was stated in this chapter that the South African model of the first OBE approach adopted

the Australian approach that holds that all learners can learn successfully at their own pace.

This also links with the White Paper 6 (Department of Education, 2001(b): 8) referred to in

chapter 1 of this study. Learning is perceived as taking place in a context of complex cultural

expectations, social interactions, personal factors, values and purposes. Therefore, in this

context, the curriculum is subjective in accordance with the perspectives in which learning

takes place.

Similar to the Australian model where learners do not fail, in South Africa learners are given

an opportunity to achieve in the GET band and only have to repeat a grade once. If what the

36

learner has not attained at the level as hoped for, the learner moves to the next grade with

their learner cohorts.

The Australian model seems to have been more radical than the South African model with

regard to transforming the curriculum. With the Australian model, around the 1990s, there

were no syllabi prescribed by their department of education up to year ten. In the South

African context, the first OBE approach also had no syllabi.

In the Australian model support was provided by the education departments and professional

associations. In South Africa, afternoon and weekend workshops were provided by

departmental officials.

In Australia teachers plan their lessons and then organize their teaching and learning

activities in a way that makes the attainment of outcomes possible. Teachers organize and

make arrangements and get involved in the implementation and evaluation of the curriculum

and its outcomes. Where there is quality teaching and learning, regardless of a model used,

education is measured by outcomes and not by inputs from the teacher to the learner.

Learners do not fail. Instead they are given an opportunity to redo the tasks in order to

demonstrate that they have achieved something. The South African model of OBE also

included this approach through macro planning that involved all teachers in a school, as well

as parents in some cases. In the GET and the Australian model the outcomes were achieved

on an ongoing basis as the learners were involved in continuous assessment and portfolio

tasks.

In the Australian model policy frameworks and curriculum guidelines are decided upon by the

government and are open to public scrutiny. (in Jansen, 1999(a): 89). This is a curriculum

policy similar to the South African policy as explained in chapter 3, in which the Minister of

Basic Education in South Africa got rid of certain aspects of OBE and introduced

programmes such as the Foundations for Learning Campaign to add potency to the

curriculum and to make it more meaningful and acceptable to learners, teachers, parents

and society.

37

2.7.2.2 The American model

According to Donaldson and Seepe (1999), the South African model of OBE took some

features of curriculum design from the USA model. This was deemed appropriate because of

the common history of racial inequalities and other commonalities of the two countries.

However, the American model seems to be more community influenced than the South

African model.

In America, as in all other countries, the OBE approach depends on the professionalism and

skills of teachers. It also depends on the ability of principals and the school governing bodies

to manage and govern schools well.

The American OBE is based on mastery learning and what learners demonstrate in their

behaviour. Mastery Learning is a teaching method that assumes all learners can learn if

appropriate learning conditions are available (Wikipedia, 2010). Students are not allowed to

proceed with new tasks until they have revealed expertise with current assignments. If

students cannot proceed they are given additional tasks to support their learning. Students

who master a topic early are given additional tasks as enrichment.

Teachers assess learners with criterion-referenced tests and not norm-referenced tests.

Their continuous assessment includes observing the participation of learners in the learning

environment and then making recordings. This is a more radically different approach from a

test rigidly based on prescribed books.

There are also similarities between the Australian, American and South African approaches.

All these models promote the achievement of outcomes through the assessment of learners

on an ongoing basis (Malcolm in Jansen, 1999(a): 82) More than ever before, the American

approach, like in all other countries, depends on the professionalism and skills of teachers.

This includes how well schools are managed and governed by principals and the school

governing bodies. In the USA learners first have to master what they learn in a specific unit

38

before they can progress to the next unit. This is not the case in South Africa. The

American OBE is based on mastery learning and what learners demonstrate in their

behaviour. Their continuous assessment includes observing the participation of learners in

the learning environment and then making recordings. This is a more radical approach to

the learning environment compared to a rigid curriculum based on prescribed books and

common tests and examinations.

2.7.2.3 The Canadian model

According to Vally and Spreen (2003: 4) the OBE approach provides learners and teachers

with “ways of achieving equity and redress”. The Canadian model is different from others

because it is founded on the moral, cognitive and value systems which prescribe the

outcomes of what the learner should reach in life. To some extent this approach links up

with the constructivist approach to teaching and learning in the classroom because of its

emphasis on the importance of the social and aesthetic development of the learner. The

Canadian model of OBE is a way of de-schooling both learners and teachers since it moves

them away from routine activities in the classroom. The model recognizes the power of

culture, power relationships, knowledge and structures in society as important in the

transformation of curriculum and society. The Canadian model is not only based on

academic and practical skills but also on social and political abilities such as (Harber, 2001;

Taylor & Vinjevold, 1999):

• Being morally upright and rooted in culture

• Believing in the principles of multi-racialism

• Being a gracious society

• Working harmoniously with others

The abovementioned outcomes of the Canadian model are similar to what is promoted by

the Bill of Rights as stated in chapter 1 of this study.

39

2.7.3 The characteristics of outcomes-based education (OBE)

As indicated, the first OBE approach in South Africa was influenced by models of other

counties and was characterised by the fact that it emphasised learner-centeredness. The

aim of the first OBE approach was to ensure that it was possible for all learners to learn

during the process of realising the stated learning outcomes. The characteristics of the first

OBE approach included, inter alia, the following:

2.7.3.1 A clear focus

Both learners and teachers were guided by a clear focus on what is meant to happen. This

gave direction and guidance to both learners and teachers because learning and

assessment processes had direction from the onset. The lessons were then planned and

approached in such a manner that it was known what the outcome of the learner’s learning

activities should be.

2.7.3.2 Opportunities and ongoing assistance

The first OBE approach in South Africa pointed out that the learning environment should be

organised in such a manner that the learner was presented with an opportunity to learn.

Those learners who experienced problems were supported by both the teacher and their

peers, as they took part in cooperative learning, group-work and other approaches to

learning. Learners were provided with opportunities for learning both inside and outside the

classroom. They also received ongoing assistance from both teachers and other learners in

order to ensure that they achieved the expected outcomes.

2.7.3.3 Achievement of learning outcomes

The first OBE approach emphasised the realisation of learning outcomes. The achievement

of learning outcomes was more than merely emphasising text-books, common tests and

examinations and the completion of the syllabus. This perspective made education a

40

societal issue because eventually the critical outcomes would be achieved through the

involvement of learners, teachers, parents and society. The intention was that the

achievement of critical outcomes and their application would impact on the society where the

learner came from.

2.7.3.4 Learning and assessment programmes

In planning their learning and assessment programmes, teachers used multiple teaching and

learning strategies in order to accommodate learners with special educational needs.

Ongoing assessment created opportunities for learners to practise and to progressively be

able to construct their own knowledge and understanding. As will be seen in chapter 3 of

this study, the Minister of Basic Education in South Africa intervened to improve assessment

and to address challenges experienced with the implementation of the curriculum.

2.7.3.5 High standards

As mentioned in the previous paragraph, through constructive participation in both teaching

and learning activities the learners were confronted with high standards in the learning

process and the success of the learners was hoped to be maximised. Although learners

learn from their peers through group work and discussions with other learners and their

teachers, learner performance in grade 10, 11 and 12 has been poor. Learners did not

always develop the anticipated communication skills, social skills, and critical thinking skills

(Department of Education, 1997(a): 4; Department of Education, 1997(b): 8; Department of

Education, 1997(d): 18).

The introduction of the principles of the first OBE policy into the NCS took into account both

the weaknesses and successes of OBE that were observed during the implementation

processes. It was believed that introducing OBE into the old NATED Report 550 curriculum

would speed up the transformation of education in South Africa. However, the problem was

that the introduction of OBE in grade 10 heaped administration and paper work onto

teachers. Introducing the principles of OBE into the old curriculum was described by the

41

Department of Education’s (DoE) training manual as “good education”. In the words of the

former Minister of Education, Asmal (2006: 17):

At its broadest level, our education and its curriculum express our idea of

ourselves as a society, and our vision as to how we see the new form of

society being realized through our children and learners. Through its selection

of what is to be in the curriculum, it represents our priorities and an assumption

of what constitutes a ‘good education’ at its deepest level.

The early years of education transformation were characterised by a striving for the highest

quality of education that would make an impact on learners’ learning. The curriculum review

was intended to culminate in the finalisation of the implementation of the first OBE approach

by the end of 2005. After this, major decisions would be made based on inputs, comments

and the progress made. For the purposes of this study, it is important to realise that the

recommendations of the Review Committee (2000) on the first OBE approach in South Africa

led to the introduction of the NCS in formal education in South Africa (Department of

Education, 2000: 4 – 8; Onwu & Mogari, 2004).

2.7.4 Criticism of outcomes-based education (OBE)

Some researchers on curriculum transformation have argued that the Department of

Education did not consult with teachers, parents and relevant stakeholders in society when

the first OBE approach was first introduced (Jansen & Christie, 1999: 7). Although OBE

failed in Canada and in Australia, South Africa implemented it. It is often argued that the

Department of Education produced curriculum discussion documents that were not rooted in

any earlier discussions and consultations, which led to the introduction of an OBE system.

The culmination of criticisms against OBE was the strengthening of the NCS and the

reduction of teacher workload by the Department of Basic Education (Department of

Education 1997(a): 6; Lubisi et al., 1997: 94; Du Plessis, 2005: 15; Department of Education,

2010(a): 2; Department of Education, 2010(b): 4).

42

As argued by Toddun (2000: 46), teachers require both skills and knowledge in order to

prepare for and to teach any new curriculum that is introduced. Another problem with the

curriculum transformation processes is that the training of teachers for these processes does

not seem to be a priority. As will be shown in this study, it could be impossible for the

principles of the NCS to positively impact on the education of the learners without the proper

training of the teachers. If the teachers are not well trained then the criticism of late and poor

training levelled against the first OBE approach (mentioned in chapter 1) may again affect

the curriculum implementation negatively.

2.7.5 Curriculum 2005 (C2005)

C2005 was introduced to promote critical thinking and to equip learners with the skills,

knowledge, values and qualifications required by the learners and the country. In order to

ensure the realisation of critical thinking and a shift from apartheid education to the new

system of education, C2005 incorporated a number of curriculum design features (which will

be discussed later in this chapter). C2005 was intended to be a system of education that

would encourage critical thinking by exposing learners to high-quality education and

equipping them with the skills, knowledge, and values required by the country and the

learners themselves (Department of Education, 1997(a), Department of Education, 2002(a);

Department of Education, 2002(b)). Accordingly, C2005 was adopted to facilitate the

process of ensuring that learners develop critical thinking skills (Spady, 1994: 1; Vally, 2000;

Vally. & Spreen, 2003: 433-464; Du Plessis, 2005: 8). It follows that C2005 was rooted in

the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky because these theorists emphasised the construction of

skills, knowledge and values by learners in the classroom.

C2005 is, therefore, a transformational form of OBE. OBE was introduced into the South

African education system (Spady, 1994: 41–42; Jansen, 1999(b): 203, Vakalisa, 2000: 21;

Du Plessis, 2005: 2; Department of Education 2005(a): 1–9) as part of transforming the

education system.

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2.7.5.1 The characteristics of C2005

The characteristics of C2005 include the following:

• Learning which is relevant and linked to real-life situations:

This principle of C2005 means that there should be a link between education and the skills

which are required in the world of work and in society. The principles of the NCS, as

embodied in the teaching of Life Orientation and other subjects, are intended to promote a

link between education and real life situations. These principles are:

• Critical thinking, reasoning, reflection and action:

Creative and critical thinking should be facilitated in the classroom. Critical thinking means

that learners are enabled to evaluate information and not accept facts without thinking

critically about them, to form an own opinion and defend an own point of view. Creative

thinking implies the ability to differ from previous ways of thinking and of being of original and

mentally adventurous.

Critical thinking is one of the five developmental outcomes included in the NCS (Department

of Education, 2003(a)). Without critical thinking, reasoning, reflection and action learners will

not develop the necessary skills, knowledge and values, and attain the qualifications

required for higher education and adult life. To develop critical thinking, learners need

support from teachers, parents and society because education is a societal issue.

As stated in the abovementioned political and education policies, critical thinking is an

extremely important developmental outcome in the NCS. Critical thinking may enable

learners to understand reality as constructed by their own thinking. This study regards Life

Orientation as a tool to promote meaningful participation in curriculum activities and in the

community or society. This constitutes Learning Outcome 3 of the curriculum and is highly

rated during assessment by the Department of Education. Learners are given the opportunity

to construct reality in the form of skills, knowledge and values.

44

• Learners who take responsibility for their learning:

The Bill of Rights, the National Education Policy Act and the Life Orientation Policy

documents encourage learners to take responsibility for their learning which they

demonstrate by participating in the lessons. In the subject of Life Orientation learners can

succeed based on their participation and demonstration of responsibility. Accordingly, it is

essential that teachers themselves be responsible to enable them to realise: (1) that

participation on the part of learners promotes both responsibility and critical thinking and (2)

that this participation depends on the ability of the teachers to allow learners to use their

existing social and cognitive structures in order to learn.

• Learners who will be able to make a contribution to society:

The developmental outcomes of the NCS in Life Orientation aim at producing learners who

will be critical thinkers, participate in their learning and also make a contribution to society.

(Johnson & Christensen, 2000: 9; Nieman & Monyai, 2006: 106). Through participation at

school and their contribution to society, learners are engaged in discovery learning and

problem solving which lead to personal development.

In the course of this study, it became clear that the intention of the abovementioned aims of

C2005 was to make a positive impact on the transformation of education. Through the

realisation of the principles of Life Orientation, the transformational aims of the education

system would also be attained.

2.7.5.2 The design features of C2005

• Religious education

According to the Department of Education (2001(b)) Christian education is no longer

protected as it was in the apartheid era. However, Bhana et al. (2005:12) find that the

45

majority of learners are committed and feel that religious education is “very important in their

lives”. It is ironic that in the first OBE approach religious education was replaced mainly with

cultural and life skills programmes and activities that had no bearing on the lives of the

learners. In C2005 and the NCS religion comprises part of the cultural and life skills section

which forms part of Life Orientation in Grade 10. Based as it was on Christian values, the old

South African education system was seen as not reflecting the values, beliefs and principles

of the new, democratic South Africa (Department of Education, 2001(b)). In the view of the

researcher, if religious instruction is neither taught nor protected in the education system,

learners and society as a whole can decline morally.

Historically schools that were owned and governed by churches and missionaries and taught

religious education had almost all been frustrated financially and administratively by the

South African government. The fear seemed to be that these schools provided effective

quality education for mainly black people. According to Chisholm (2000: 55), when the NCS

was introduced, religious groups and churches still wanted religious instruction to be taught

in the curriculum. Although religious groups and churches did not succeed to have religious

instruction retained in the curriculum, the subject Life Orientation was introduced to ensure

the holistic development of the learner towards responsibility and effective participation in

society (Department of Education, 2000; Department of Education, 2002(b); Department of

Education, 2003(a)).

In terms of the Constitution of South Arica (Act No 108 of 1996, section 15 (2 & 7)) schools

are allowed to observe religious occasions and holidays. The positive impact of both

religious and moral education in the South African schools hinges on the successful

implementation of the principles of the NCS. Religious education is expected to be taught

without the promotion of any single religion. What the learners believe is left to the learners

themselves and their parents (Kruger, 1998: 39; Department of Education, 2001(b);

Department of Education, 2002(b): 5; Department of Education, 2003(a)).

46

• Moral education

In C2005 moral education is replaced by a tolerance of all world views, religions and sexual

orientations. As stated in the above paragraph, the absence of both religious and moral

education could lead to people being selfish, materialistic and corrupt. Often, people do not

live communal lives or for others but for themselves. Moral decay also takes place and has

to be addressed through effective programmes that promote human values and respect for

others in society (Department of Education, 1997(a): 1&37; Department of Education, 1996;

Republic of South Africa, 1995).

• Academic–scientific education

In terms of C2005, the ideal of equipping all learners with the required skills, knowledge,

values and qualifications as well as with critical thinking skills is promoted. Contrary to the

religious and moral education mentioned above, academic-scientific education means that

religious matters and the religious beliefs of learners are left for learners and their parents to

decide (Department of Education, 2001(a) 17; Department of Education, 1997(b): 4&16);

Department of Education, 1997(a): 2). Leaving abstract and complicated issues such as

values and religious matters to learners could be detrimental at a time when they need

guidance from teachers in an educational environment. In South Africa, the principle of the

promotion of freedom of religion while treating all learners equally upholds the principle of

academic scientific education.

2.7.5.3 Principles of C2005

Used as a vehicle or means to introduce the first OBE approach and to promote critical

thinking among learners in South Africa, C2005 placed greater emphasis on activities and

group-work in the teaching and learning environment than on content. There was no

emphasis on the use of textbooks by teachers. This overemphasis on activities, together

with little or no attention to content, clouded the principles on which the first OBE approach

and was based.

47

Learning and curriculum transformation cannot be based on a single strategy. The following

principles of C2005 show the different aspects that were prescribed to teachers in order to

make a positive impact on the education of learners (Department of Education, 1997(c):2;

Department of Education, 1997(d): 3).

• Integration of learning

• Holistic development of the learner

• Participation and ownership

• Accountability and transparency

• Learner-oriented approach

• Flexibility

• Critical and creative thinking

• Progression and inclusion

The abovementioned principles of C2005 form part of the first OBE approach that was

introduced in order to impact on education in South Africa by creating a curriculum shift from

the apartheid education system to an OBE system. According to this study the

abovementioned principles of C2005 may be interpreted as follows:

(1) Integration of learning: Integration of learning is a very important principle in both OBE

and the NCS. Integration means that different subjects should be linked. In terms of

C2005 teachers are expected to plan and to teach their lessons in such a way that

there is a link between subjects. Knowledge, skills, values and qualifications are not

fragmented but form part of a single whole. Under the first OBE approach and C2005

many teachers complained about the amount of time spent on lesson planning and as

integration of learning is a very difficult principle to apply. It is always difficult for

teachers to know how much to integrate.

(2) Holistic development of the learner: The principles of C2005 provide a framework for

the development of the whole child. All subjects contribute towards the development

48

of the learner through the content that teachers use to teach the learners. The subject

Life Orientation is most significant in this regard because its content is used for both

the personal and academic performance of the learner. In the process of the holistic

development of the learner, the subject Life Orientation creates an environment where

learners, teachers, parents and society can participate in order to develop the child as

a whole. The learning activities provided by the teacher encourage the acquisition of

skills, knowledge, values and qualifications while learners, through Life Orientation

and other subjects, develop in an environment that promotes the development of the

whole person.

(3) Participation and ownership: In terms of C2005 the focus is on the learner who must

not only participate in the teaching and learning environment but also take ownership

of the learning environment. Other stakeholders in education are also involved

because education is a societal issue. Active learner and stakeholder participation

encourages the development of personal skills as well as the acquisition of

knowledge, values and qualifications.

(4) Accountability and transparency: Learners are encouraged to take responsibility and

to be accountable for their own learning. The learning process that culminates in the

learner being a responsible person requires the involvement of the school and society

in the learning process. In the classrooms, learners are involved in learning activities

and assessment processes that prepare them to be responsible people while still

learning throughout their lives.

(5) Learner-oriented approach: A learner-oriented approach means that the focus of

teaching and learning is on the learner. However, the teacher remains an important

part of the learning process. The teacher uses content and support materials to direct

and guide the learning and assessment processes. The focus of these processes is

to have teachers, parents and society work together in an attempt to attain the

expected skills, knowledge, values and qualifications.

49

(6) Flexibility: The first OBE approach and C2005 allowed teachers to use a variety of

learner/teacher support materials to provide flexibility in lesson planning. Learning did

not depend on rigid developments in the learning environment. In addition,

knowledge, skills, values and qualifications to be attained by the learner are not

limited to a single subject perspective.

(7) Critical and creative thinking: The positive impact of the principles of the NCS is the

production of learners who are critical thinkers. Critical thinking means that learners

are not only receptive but that they are able to construct skills, knowledge and values

in a form which is understood by them. Critical thinking promotes the development of

learners who are creative. Creativity stems from learning, assessment and

participation processes involving the learner, teachers, parents and stakeholders in

education (Bloodworth et al., 2001: 4).

(8) Progression and inclusion: The principle of progression and inclusion means that

learners progress with their own age group. Learners who experience problems with

their learning are placed in special classes and supported to catch up with the rest of

the learners. Those who do not cope with the mainstream curriculum are identified

and admitted to schools meant for learners with special educational needs. It is

believed that in an environment that is conducive to learning, all learners can learn.

Accordingly, learners with special educational needs must be provided for in OBE, the

NCS or any other curriculum that may be introduced in the process of transforming

the curriculum.

2.7.6 The NCS

2.7.6.1 Why the NCS was introduced

As revealed in this chapter, the shift from apartheid perspectives of looking at society and

education to OBE was not without problems. Several researchers and teachers protested

about the manner in which the curriculum was transformed from the content-driven

50

curriculum of the apartheid era to the OBE of the new dispensation in South Africa (Lubisi et

al., 1997: 83). According to the Department of Education (1997(a): 2) and Toddun (2000:2),

the implementation of OBE constitutes an ongoing process of transformation. It is for this

reason that the first OBE approach was later termed C2005, which implied that OBE would

have an impact on all the grades within the South African education system by the year

2005. According to Van Deventer (2009: 128) many schools in South Africa have not been

able to implement OBE well. As the new curriculum was implemented it was also revised

and it became known as the Revised NCS.

The change from the apartheid curriculum that had been traditional and didactic driven in

approach to the NCS approach to teaching and learning meant that the entire curriculum had

to change and be underpinned by a single NCS (Department of Education, 2003(a): 1). The

required impact of the principles of the NCS hinges on the adherence of learners, teachers

and district offices to the NCS policy and to the related subject policy documents.

Unlike the apartheid curriculum that had comprised more than 124 subjects, subjects in the

NCS are grouped into the following 12 learning fields that are, in turn, linked to the National

Qualifications Framework (NQF) which organises careers and curriculum choices

(Department of Education, 2003(a): 4):

• Agriculture and Nature Conservation

• Arts and Culture

• Business, Commerce and Management Studies

• Communication Studies and Languages

• Education, Training and Development

• Manufacturing, Engineering and Technology

• Human and Social Studies

• Law, Military Science and Security

• Health Sciences and Social Services

• Physical, Mathematical, Computer and Life Sciences

• Services and

51

• Physical Planning and Construction

The content of all the above-mentioned subjects and fields is particularly important and it is

expected to impact on education by empowering learners to operate competently and

confidently in the South African economy. The FET qualifications could also have an impact

as learners are helped to respond to the challenges of the economic environment and the

changing world of work. All subjects offered in Grade 10 relate to what is happening in the

job situation in the real world.

Some of the abovementioned learning fields are not applicable to the school situation. In

order to ensure that the NCS has an impact on the education of learners and that it

accommodates learners with special educational needs, some of the learning fields are also

combined. The essence of the learning fields and the NCS may be seen in the following

expression of a new system of morals, values, standards and rights for all South Africans – a

complete shift from the segregated apartheid education system referred to in chapter 1.

The Constitution expresses the nation’s social values and its expectations of the roles, rights

and responsibilities of citizens in a democratic South Africa. The Bill of Rights places pre-

eminent value on equality, human dignity, life and freedom, and security of persons. These

and other rights to freedom of religion and belief, expression and association, exist side-by-

side with socio-economic rights. Each person has a right to freedom from poverty,

homelessness, poor health and hunger. The Revised NCS seeks to embody these values in

the knowledge and skills it develops The subject Life Orientation is there to ensure the

teaching of these rights and principles in the curriculum of all schools in South Africa,

especially as country is a new democracy (Department of Education, 1996; Department of

Education, 1997(a); Department of Education, 2002(a): 14).

As already stated in chapter 1 and in this chapter, OBE was introduced in South Africa in

order, primarily, to transform the apartheid curriculum. According to this study, the principles

of the NCS represented an attempt to redress the education system for blacks that had been

52

organised along racial lines and, in addition, had been poorly resourced compared to the

education for coloureds, Indians and whites.

Apartheid education, which was enforced by law, negatively affected the curriculum delivery

and teacher training for black people. The subjects that were taught entrenched the

inequality and doctrines of the apartheid education system. Education for blacks was

characterised by fragmentation, unequal distribution of resources, poor teacher training and

overcrowded classes. Contrary to the principles of human rights and equality as stated in

chapter 1 the ruling party of the time believed that there was no place for blacks in the urban

areas which were intended for white people only.

Apartheid education prepared black people to be utilised as cheap labour only. Accordingly,

education for blacks was organised on the basis of their racial qualities, characteristics and

needs. To this end, Malherbe (1997: 349, 545) agrees with Polley (1988: 85) that the

resources available to and the quality of education for blacks declined because of deliberate

poor budgeting by the ruling party. Even good church schools and colleges for blacks were

suppressed until they were unable to continue to assist in black education.

2.7.6.2 The curriculum cycle from apartheid education to the NCS

Having discussed the nature of the South African version of OBE and taking into account the

fact that OBE varies from country to country (Malcolm, 1999: 77), it became obvious that

teachers needed effective and efficient training to address the problems of moral decline,

and a lack of values, standards and inclusion. It was essential that the concepts of OBE and

NCS be further defined if the curriculum shift aspired to by the Constitution and the

curriculum policies of the education department were to be understood (Lubisi et al., 1997:

82).

In view of the fact that the curriculum shift referred to in this chapter was supposed to

promote the creation of own skills, knowledge, values and qualifications that learners must

have, this curriculum shift was perceived in terms of the social constructivism theories of

53

Vygotsky and Piaget (see chapter 1). These constructivist theories influenced both the

policies and the implementation of the principles of the NCS (Department of Education,

1997(c): 6).

Other researchers, such as Lubisi et al. (1997: 8), also deal with a shift in a perspective of a

curriculum that was content-driven to an outcomes-driven approach. Grobler (1988: 103), in

also emphasising the process of shifting from the old curriculum perspectives to the new

curriculum, concurs with Pretorius (1999: vi) that this paradigm shift was caused by the fact

that it was not possible for the previous curriculum to respond to technological challenges of

the global world (Guthrie & Pierce, 1990: 180).

Similar to the first OBE approach that failed in South Africa, with the latest version of the

NCS, the Department of Basic Education seems to be in a hurry to change the curriculum

because the “Curriculum News” is not approved policy but schools were already

implementing the changes at the beginning of 2010. While the latest curriculum is being

written, “Curriculum News” gives the perspective that must shape and direct curriculum

transformation in South Africa. However, at this stage of the transformation of the curriculum

in South Africa, teachers, principals, subject advisers and parents seem to be as confused

as they were when the first OBE approach was introduced in 1998.

The Ministerial Committee’s recommendations are that the curriculum must change but the

OBE philosophy and principles are not changed. Therefore, the latest curriculum is still

OBE. The implication is that OBE forms an integral part of the current NCS policy and the

principles of the NCS. The researcher therefore argues that it is not practical to change the

curriculum without changing the NCS policy and the principles of the NCS. OBE is also the

backbone and principle number 2 in the General principles of the NCS. The curriculum can

therefore not be effectively and genuinely transformed without paying special attention to

aspects of OBE in the NCS. This study concurs, that, just as the first OBE approach aimed

at improving curriculum, the latest version of the “Curriculum News” also aims at improving

the quality of learning and teaching. This includes planning for 2010 and beyond

54

(Department of Education, 2010(a); Department of Education, 2010(b): 2). The problem with

the latest NCS introduced through the Curriculum New is that

• It is not clear whether the “Curriculum News” is policy or not because it is neither in a

form of a circular nor a gazette. However, teachers and principals are implementing

its contents.

• OBE is said to be withdrawn but the NCS and its principles are based on OBE.

• The NCS appears to be more a newsletter than a policy.

• The NCS is not comprehensive because it is issued quarterly based on inputs.

• More newsletters are needed to clarify exactly what is required of teachers and

learners.

In striving to achieve quality in education, the latest version of OBE requires teachers to have

only one file. Many teachers do not know if they should keep different OBE files or the single

file that is required in the “Curriculum News”. In some grades, such as the Foundation

Phase where there are different Learning Programmes since the first OBE approach, it is not

possible to keep “one file for administrative purposes”, as stated in the “Curriculum News”.

In the researcher’s view, the problem may be that the latest NCS version may be introduced

over-hastily.

The NCS approach to teaching and learning introduced by the “Curriculum News” has

implications for the different subject policies and they may have to change as well. There

are also implications for the way learners learn, teachers teach and assess as well as

manage the curriculum. From the introduction of the first OBE approach to the latest version

of OBE, teachers continue to be viewed as either unable to teach or ignorant about their

subjects (Willis & Kissane, 1997: 4). While the first OBE approach and the NCS emphasised

the importance of portfolio tasks, activities and projects by learners, the latest version of the

NCS emphasises the reduction of these learning and assessment activities and processes.

In the absence of final subject policies and guidelines there is a gap between what teachers

must implement in the classrooms and what subject advisers must do to monitor them.

55

There is also a need for more implementation guidelines and clarity for both teachers and

education officials do not always know how to reduce projects and tasks. In one subject a

single project may have a number of other tasks and activities. This could create tension

between subject advisers and teachers as teachers feel that the amount of paper and

administration work has not been reduced as promised.

2.8 THE IMPORTANCE OF STAKEHOLDER INVOLVEMENT

From the introduction of the first OBE approach to the latest improvement of the NCS, many

teachers have felt excluded from the curriculum transformation processes. Teachers have

always been concerned about the way in which the curriculum shift from the apartheid

content-driven curriculum to the new dispensation of OBE was proceeding in South Africa

(Lubisi et al., 1997: 83; Jansen & Christie, 1999: 13). In the researcher’s view, the problem

with other studies about the curriculum and teaching of the subject Life Orientation is that

they only focus on the social, physical, personal, emotional and intellectual development as

well as the skills, knowledge and values that learners must achieve. This study goes on to

focus on education as a societal issue and impact of the implementation of all the principles

of the NCS (Department of Education, 2005(c): 3); Bender & Lombard, 2004: 88; Ngcobo,

2002: 96).

In South Africa education has become a societal issue and therefore has to involve society

and other stakeholders. Consultation and the involvement of learners, teachers, parents,

and others in education are important so that those involved can take ownership of the

subject Life Orientation. Consultation helps to identify the needs of learners and teachers

(Bender & Lombard, 2004:101; Muuss, 1996:82; Marais, 1998).

The literature suggests that if teachers and relevant stakeholders in education are allowed to

make decisions about their own education, their commitment and participation to education

tend to increase. In this study, the pedagogic objective of grounding the South African

approach to OBE in the social constructivism theories of Piaget and Vygotsky is to allow

participation in the transformation process to ensure that the shift from the apartheid

56

education system to the new system of education may be understood and owned by all

those who are involved. It would not be possible to realise the positive impact of the

implementation of the principles of the NCS successfully across all subjects in the education

system as a whole if teachers and the stakeholders were not involved.

As stated above, in implementing the first OBE approach from the start in 1998, learning

programmes were designed with projected outcomes that learners must achieve so that,

through active participation, learners both obtain and expand knowledge. Learners learn

within and outside the classroom. Malan (1997: 12) and Danielson (1988: 1) found that in a

cooperative learning environment where there is a possibility that an impact could be made

on the education of the learners, learners become accustomed to cooperating with their

peers. The learners also gain a respect for diverse religious, cultural and language traditions

and systems if they are actively participating and engaging with their peers in the learning

situation.

If the learners, teachers, parents and stakeholders become involved in the development of

various principles of the NCS at school, they are enabled, at a later stage, to demonstrate a

critical understanding of the way in which education and the South African society have

changed and developed. If learners see their own parents and society involved in education,

implementing could be enhanced because the learners could be encouraged to participate

actively in their learning. Schools are perceived as institutions that control the conditions and

opportunities for successful schooling. Schools must, therefore, take advantage of this

opportunity and prepare learners for participation in the real life-world (Van der Horst &

McDonald, 1997: 10; Jansen & Christie, 1999: 661).

Therefore, in terms of the NCS system, which is based on constructivism pedagogy, learners

were no longer supposed to be regarded as mere obedient recipients of content-based

lessons, tests and examinations. While the OBE system may not have suited every learner,

the old didactic approach of emphasising books, content, tests and common examinations

would today work for only approximately 20% of the learners in a learning environment (Fritz,

1994: 79).

57

If the implementation of the NCS were imposed, there would be no difference between the

didactic pedagogies which were, themselves imposed (see above) and the new curriculum

(Jansen, 1999(a): 7). It is, therefore, critical that the Department of Education ensure that the

teachers, principals, parents and stakeholders in education all participate and are involved

so that they do not reject the strengthening of the NCS (Perry, 1999: 6).

2.9 THE REORGANISATION OF SCHOOLS

If the introduction of the principles of the NCS into the education system of South Africa is to

have an impact, it is essential that schools be reorganised to suit the streamlining and the

support of the NCS curriculum – see table 2.1 below:

Table 2.1 The NCS curriculum

BAND PHASE GRADE /SUBJECTS

GET, ECD/Foundation

Phase

Grades R to 3 • Life skills

• Literacy

• Numeracy

Intermediate Phase Grades 4 to 6 • Languages


• Technology

• Natural Sciences

• Social Sciences

• Mathematics


• Economic

Management

Sciences

58

BAND PHASE GRADE SUBJECT

Senior Phase Grades 7 to 9 • Language,

Literacy and

Communication

• Mathematics

• Economic

Management

Sciences




• Technology

• Human and

Social Sciences

FET BAND FET (for schools) Grades 10 to 12 Out of the 23

prescribed subjects,

learners are

required to register

for and to study

seven subjects

In terms of the requirements of the NCS it was essential that the schools be organised in

accordance with the abovementioned phases. It is also important to note that a learner may

be retained once only in a phase. Section 4(a) of the Constitution promotes progression by

providing for the recognition of the aptitudes, abilities, interests, prior knowledge and

experience of students or learners. Lebeloane (1998: 93), Killen (2000(a): 1) as well as

Nieman and Monyai (2006: 6) concur with section 4(a) of the Constitution of the Republic of

South Africa, when they highlight appropriate teaching methods that may be applied by

59

teachers to ensure that learners attain high and complex skills as they progress from one

grade to the next.

In the General Education and Training band (GET) learners are required to study all the

learning areas offered by the education system. However, chapter 3 focuses on further

changes made by the Minister of Basic Education, based on the recommendations of the

Ministerial Committee. The GET band falls at the end of the compulsory school-going age;

thereafter learners enter Grade 10 which constitutes the beginning of the FET band. At the

beginning of Grade 10 learners choose subjects according to their abilities, interests, career

choice and guidance, as provided by the Life Orientation teachers at the end of the GET

band. Unfortunately, most schools in the Senior Phase (Grades 7 to 9) are not yet organised

in accordance with this policy.

In most schools Grade 7 (the beginning of the Senior Phase), is still part of the primary

school and it is separated both from the Intermediate Phase and the rest of the Senior Phase

which is part of the secondary school. This continued separation of Grade 7 from Grades 8

and 9 could have a negative impact on teaching and learning, as well as the implementation

of the principles of the NCS. Some learners spend two years only with their teachers at

secondary school and this may lead to gaps in their knowledge and poor performance.

The challenges facing curriculum transformation require the department to provide greater

authority to school principals and education officials to deal with monitoring and support

problems. For a number of years the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has initiated

intervention programmes to improve Grade 10 results (Gauteng Institute for Educational

Development 2005: 1). The assumption was that the pace of both the professional and

academic development of teachers and learners was too slow. It was believed that teachers

and learners were not able to attain the cognitive and social constructivism levels of the

principles of the NCS in order to facilitate learning and to assess learners.

The biggest challenge in improving the curriculum and dealing with problems raised with

regard to implementation is that all the principles of the NCS which have not been

60

successfully implemented and taught remain the theoretical basis on which the NCS is

based. In the researcher’s view, if the implementation of the principles of the NCS is not

successfully integrated across all the subjects in a school, the NCS cannot be strengthened.

2.10 CONCLUSION

This chapter focused on OBE, C2005 and the NCS. Different models and characteristics of

OBE were explained and criticisms of OBE delineated. The characteristics and principles of

C2005 were highlighted. It was explained why the NCS was introduced. Finally, the

importance of stakeholder involvement and the reorganisation of schools were explained.

The chapter that follows focuses on perspectives that influence the implementation of a

curriculum in a country. This includes positivism and constructivism.

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CHAPTER 3 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS THAT INFLUENCE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CURRICULUM

3.1 INTRODUCTION

The previous chapter provided a literature review on the transformation of the education

system. In particular it focused on OBE, C2005 and the NCS. This chapter discusses some

of the theoretical frameworks (paradigms) that influence the implementation of the curriculum

of a country. This includes the Life Orientation curriculum which is relevant for this study.

These frameworks are ways of looking at the world and, thus, influence how the curriculum

of a country is designed and implemented. Similar to the education system in South Africa,

education systems throughout the world are based on one framework or a combination of

theoretical frameworks. Some of the frameworks that influenced the implementation of OBE

and the NCS are defined and their characteristics described.

3.2 THE INFLUENCE OF THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS

Different theoretical frameworks or philosophies or paradigms about knowledge and learning

influence an education system. Politicians and curriculum designers adopt certain

frameworks or paradigms and thus the curriculum is shaped. As in the case of South Africa,

the political history of a country influences the theories of influential parties in their decisions

to design and thus transform the curriculum of a country. For example, the NCS is based on

the constructivist learning theory or philosophy about learning.

In South Africa different perspectives on how education should be transformed have

emerged since 1994. The political and educational perspectives of decision makers after the

1994 democratic elections in South Africa, led to the introduction of the first OBE document.

To ensure that teachers and other relevant parties understood the philosophy on which OBE

62

and NCS are based, the OBE and NCS training workshops that took place from 2007 were

grounded in constructivism. The focus was on constructivism because positivism was seen

as an outdated theory of learning and could, therefore, not be used to transform the

curriculum in South Africa. However, from the outset, Jansen (1997: 66) and other

researchers (as indicated in chapter 2), criticised OBE and warned that the manner in which

the first OBE approach was introduced in South Africa, would cause it to fail. OBE was seen

as introduced in “isolation and in ignorance of 80 years of experience” with regard to the

implementation of the curriculum in South Africa (Jansen, 1997: 66; Jansen, 1999(a): 148).

The problem was that there was limited training for teachers on how to implement the first

OBE approach and there is no significant training for teachers on the “Curriculum News”

version of OBE. After eight months of implementing NCS changes in 2010, there has been

no written theoretical basis on which the changes are grounded. The researcher argues that

political decisions and perspectives on changing the curriculum have to be supported by

written educational theories and perspectives. The absence of a legitimate framework could

mean that:

• The new NCS subjects are not linked to one another within the same grade or phase.

• The developmental and critical outcomes may not be attained by the learners

because there may be some missing links between the different subjects.

• The content of one subject may differ completely from other subjects within the same

grade or phase.

A legitimate theoretical framework was necessary to guide curriculum designers and writers

of the new curriculum. This framework about changes to the NCS would also be helpful to

teachers as they plan and prepare lessons to develop the learners.

In general two main theoretical frameworks influenced the curricula of education systems in

South Africa namely positivism and constructivism (Kramer, 1999:1). These are explained in

section 3.3 of this chapter.

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3.3 THE EFFECT OF CHANGES IN THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS ON CURRICULA

According to Olivier (1998: 15) the introduction of OBE into the South African education

system was a deviation from the “conventional and traditional content education and

training”. In an OBE curriculum, outcomes were identified and stated that had to achieved,

for example in Life Orientation. Teachers had to engage learners in activities that would lead

them to the attainment of those intended outcomes. Teachers were not used to this

approach to teaching and learning.

The process of implementing and reviewing the curriculum from the first OBE approach to

the NCS is reminiscent of a vicious cycle of political changes and perspectives, as

demonstrated in table 3.1 below. Just as political changes created new perspectives on

learning theories that led to the introduction of the first OBE approach in 1998, there was a

desire to suddenly abandon OBE because there were further political changes that came

with new perspectives. The high expectations that had been created about the first OBE

approach were replaced with new plans for education.

In this study, the replacement of the outcomes-based approach with the “Curriculum News”

document (Department of Education 2010(a): 2) implies that another version of OBE has

been adopted by the education system. The researcher argues that OBE curriculum design

features, characteristics and principles are so entrenched in the South African education

system that it would take a number of years to be replaced. Therefore, from the introduction

of the first OBE approach in South Africa, the curriculum implemented in the schools has

changed to yet another OBE in the form of a “strengthened NCS”. The latest changes to

strengthen the NCS seem to be a move towards a content-driven curriculum approach. This

approach was replaced by the first OBE approach and introduced through teacher training

workshops in 1997.

The Report of the Ministerial Committee on the implementation of the NCS suggested

curriculum changes that made the curriculum relatively rigid, compared to the first OBE

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approach, C2005 and the NCS. Unlike the first OBE approach in South Africa, the latest

NCS also prescribes what teachers must teach and assess. While the Ministerial Committee

may be criticised for bringing back, among other changes, a syllabus approach to the

implementation of the curriculum, the first OBE approach introduced in 1998 had made the

process of what teachers teach and assess relatively wide. Thus, there were limited

similarities between what learners were doing or teachers were teaching in the same grades

in different schools (Department of Education, 2010(b): 2). The Report of the Ministerial

Committee has recommended Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements to provide

guidelines for teachers. The curriculum change process of the first OBE approach and the

NCS, prior to the latest NCS of the “Curriculum News” perspective, also had curriculum and

assessment guidelines although there was some confusion on these. Teachers are

therefore eager to see how clear the guidelines of the latest version of OBE are, but to date

there has not been training for teachers (Department of Education, 2010(b): 2).

According to the Department of Basic Education the shift of teachers’ planning that was

flexible could now be rigid and limited to a single file. This rigidity with regard to planning

could limit the learning environment and the scope for the development of learners’ skills,

knowledge, values and qualifications. There is also a lot of uncertainty about whether the

“Curriculum News” is a policy that must be implemented by schools or simply a newsletter to

keep teachers and principals informed while they are waiting for curriculum implementation

policy documents and the completion of the curriculum assessment policy statements

(CAPS). The abovementioned concerns are illustrated in table 3.1 below, illustrating the

process of curriculum change in South Africa.

65

Table 3.1 The process of curriculum change in South Africa

The Apartheid

Curriculum

The first OBE

approach

The NCS The latest OBE

This curriculum

was rigid, content-

driven and

examination

focussed. It

emphasized the

use of textbooks

The first OBE

approach

curriculum was

flexible and

focused on

activities and

ongoing

assessments.

The use of

newspapers and a

variety of learner-

teacher support

materials was

stressed in the

first OBE

approach.

OBE was not

officially

introduced in

grade 10 to 12. In

these grades OBE

was infused. The

implication is that

OBE was

followed. The

NCS and OBE

were the same

framework.

OBE as an

approach to

teaching and

learning was

strengthened into

another curriculum

The latest revised

NCS seems to be

more rigid, content

and examination

focussed.

(This table is discussed further in a later section.)

3.3.1 The attempt to abandon OBE

The transformation of the curriculum since the first OBE approach is complicated because as

paradigms and frameworks of political parties and the country changed, models of the

curriculum also changed. In South Africa the process of transforming the curriculum

continues to be based on principles of the NCS.

66

According to Potenza and Monyokolo (1999: 24), who were supporters and trainers of

teachers when the first OBE approach of 1998 was introduced in South Africa, OBE was a

destination without a plan. From the onset, it seemed the implementation of OBE would fail

because:

• Teachers, learners and parents feared OBE

• Teachers were not well trained to implement OBE

• OBE was introduced in a rushed and chaotic manner

The process of implementing and reviewing the introduction of the new curriculum, from the

first OBE approach to the NCS was almost suddenly abandoned because there were political

changes that came with new perspectives and theoretical frameworks. The high

expectations that had been created of the first OBE approach were replaced with new plans

for education. The replacement of the outcomes-based approach with the “Curriculum

News” document (Department of Education, 2010(a): 2) implies that there is another type of

OBE in the education system. From the introduction of the first OBE approach in South

Africa, the curriculum taught in the schools has changed to another OBE. This latest OBE

introduced by the Minister of Basic Education seems to be adopting rigid and content-driven

curriculum approaches that were not acceptable to the first OBE approach that was

introduced through training workshops in 1997.

Unlike the first OBE approach in South Africa, the latest OBE also prescribes what teachers

must teach and assess. While this change of a syllabus approach is not new in South Africa,

the first OBE approach had made the process of what teachers teach and assess too wide.

There was no common ground between what learners were doing in the same grades in

different schools. The Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements referred to in the

latest OBE curriculum change processes are aimed at providing guidelines for teachers. The

problem is that the curriculum implementation process of the first OBE approach and the

NCS, prior to the latest OBE of the “Curriculum News” perspective, also had curriculum and

assessment guidelines. Teachers are therefore eager to see how clear the guidelines of the

67

latest version of OBE are (Department of Education, 2010(a): 2; Department of Education,

2010(b): 2).

The shift of teachers’ planning that was flexible could now be rigid and limited to a single file.

This rigidity with regard to planning could limit the learning environment and the scope for the

development of learners’ skills, knowledge, values and acquisition of qualifications. There is

also a lot of uncertainty whether the “Curriculum News” is an accepted policy that must be

implemented by the schools or simply a newsletter from the Minister of Basic Education to

keep teachers and principals informed while they are waiting for policy documents on

curriculum implementation. (These concerns have been illustrated in table 3.1, illustrating

the process of curriculum change in South Africa.)

The perspective of the Minister of Basic Education is that there may be “change fatigue”

among teachers, learners and parents, caused by ongoing changes from the first OBE

approach to the latest strengthening of the curriculum. The curriculum implementation and

assessment processes must, therefore, be made societal issues so that the system of

education can continue to draw interest and confidence from stakeholders and society at

large. Processes of curriculum and assessment changes cannot be left to a few committees

alone because committees do not represent teachers who must implement the curriculum

(Department of Education, 2010(b):2 – 4).

From the first OBE approach to the current curriculum, the educational and political

perspectives, as well as the technological and curriculum changes that took place in the

country illustrate different perspectives of how the learner learns and should therefore be

taught (Vandeyar & Killen, 2003). The implementation of the principles of the NCS still

promotes those teaching methods and strategies of the first OBE approach that allow the

learners to construct their own learning, skills, knowledge and values. This is linked to the

vision of the Gauteng Department of Education of “ensuring that every learner does well at

school and leaves the institutions with the knowledge, skills, values and qualifications that

will give them the best chance of success in adult life”. However, the critical thinking and the

68

construction of own learning may be discouraged as teachers go back to prescribed texts to

be taught from textbooks tests and tests (Department of Education, 2010(a): 6).

Curriculum designers, education officials, principals and teachers would, therefore, have to

understand the “Curriculum News” (Department of Education, 2010(a): 2) clearly as a

different paradigm or perspective of teaching and learning in order to prepare learners

effectively for life after school. An interesting observation to be made from the

abovementioned table 3.1 is that the curriculum in the last column seems to be similar to the

curriculum in the first column. From an open system of the first OBE approach (of using

learner or teacher support materials), books may again be prescribed, with some freedom of

using additional books according to the choice of teachers. The problem with the latest

version of OBE is that the “Curriculum News” is not policy and therefore remains fluid as it

can change at any time or from term to term, depending on whether teachers and the unions

accept the changes or not.

Because of the “change fatigue” among teachers, learners, parents and society caused by

ongoing changes from the first OBE approach to the latest NCS curriculum, this study argues

that curriculum implementation and assessment processes must be made societal issues.

The system of education needs to draw interest and confidence from stakeholders and

society at large. Processes of curriculum and assessment changes cannot be left to a few

committees alone because committees do not necessarily represent the teachers who must

actually implement the curriculum. We need to work against change fatigue in order to

restore confidence and enthusiasm amongst all our stakeholders (Department of Education,

2010(b): 1 & 2).

Political convictions are the reason why South Africa and its education systems moved from

one theoretical framework or perspective to another. This implies that in dealing with

education transformation matters, teachers need to know the philosophies and theoretical

frameworks that underpin curricula. These views influence their planning of lessons and how

these are presented to the learners, in other words their use of different teaching and

learning methods. The first OBE approach and the C2005 frameworks focussed on the

69

development of the whole child, hence the rigid, examination focussed curriculum was

abandoned.

The subjects shown in table 2.1 in chapter 2 have also been reduced as shown in table 3.2

that follows:

Table 3.2 The reduced NCS subjects

BAND PHASE GRADE LEARNING

AREAS/SUBJECTS

GET ECD/Foundation

Phase

Grades R to 3 • Life skills

• Literacy

• Numeracy

Intermediate Phase Grades 4 to 6 • Languages


and Life

orientation

(ACLO)

• Technology


(ns Tech)

• Social Sciences

• Mathematics

• General studies

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Senior Phase Grades 7 to 9 • Language

(English),

Literacy and

Communication

• Mathematics

• Economic

Management

Sciences




• Technology

• Human and

Social Sciences

Where some subjects have been merged or changed, schools may be required to re-

organise with regard to teacher allocation. Some teachers may not be experts in the newly

created subjects. The need to train teachers therefore remains an issue. For instance, if

Natural Science and Technology subjects are combined or merged, some of the new content

may be difficult for some teachers to teach. Learners may thus end up being held back due

to poor organisation and presentation of lessons. Those learners who pass could end up

reaching the FET band with some knowledge gaps in either the science subject or

technology due to two subjects merged into one subject in the GET.

The subject Life Orientation remains very important with regard to the creation of an

environment that develops the whole child. The holistic development of the learner cannot

be achieved by means of content subjects alone. Contrary to the first OBE approach of 1998

where training workshops were still taking place almost six months after the introduction of

the new curriculum, there has been no mention of teacher training at this stage, although

71

changes to the NCS are implemented. It is assumed that teachers will be able to understand

and implement this latest version of the NCS. As can be seen from chapter 1 and in the

literature review, the implementation of any curriculum, such as the NCS can be influenced

by many theoretical frameworks or learning paradigms. In this study only two theoretical

frameworks or learning theories that can influence education have been selected for

explanation because these two seem most relevant for this study.

3.4 TWO DIVERSE FRAMEWORKS: POSITIVISM AND CONSTRUCTIVISM

3.4.1 Positivism

3.4.1.1 The definition of positivism

Positivism is a perspective that confines itself to the data of experience but excludes

metaphysical speculation. That means, this perspective deals with scientific knowledge that

is objective and value free. When used, positivism aims at influencing teaching and learning

as well as human behaviour in a particular direction (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1998: 636).

Positivism is relevant for the purposes of this study because it significantly influenced the

education system before 1994.

3.4.1.2 Characteristics of positivism

According to Bentley, Ebert and Ebert (2000: 15) positivism has the following characteristics:

• Positivism does not allow for flexibility in teaching and learning

• It does not allow learners and teachers to be creative

• The construction of knowledge in the learning environment is limited

• It views the learner as an empty vessel to be filled. Thus, learners are passive and

need to memorise and regurgitate prescribed content.

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Therefore, positivism does not seem to be a relevant perspective in the implementation of

the principles of the NCS. However, the latest version of OBE also seems to be rigid and

limiting the creativity of both teachers and learners that was encouraged by the first OBE

approach, especially with regard to its emphasis on text-books and a national catalogue of

textbooks (Department of Education, 2008(a): 3).

3.4.2 Constructivism

3.4.2.1 The definition of constructivism

Constructivism is a theory that holds that learning takes place through active participation by

the learner (Schulze, 2003: 6). In this study, constructivism is an approach that creates a

suitable teaching and learning environment where the learner can actively participate in the

process of creating and attaining communication, emotional, social, academic, and other

skills. According to Sieborger and Macintosh (2004: 33) the outcomes-based approach is

learner centred and in this approach, all learners can actively construct their own knowledge

at their own pace.

3.4.2.2 Characteristics of constructivism

Henze (2008:1-35) demystifies constructivism as a theory describing how learning happens.

He identifies the following as crux assumption of the theoretical framework: “knowledge does

not exist independently of the subjects who seek it” (Henze, 2008:4.). He also identifies the

following six major points:

• Not everybody agrees exactly on what constructivism is although all may agree that it

can be compared to the process of building on top of what already is.

• .Knowledge acquisition is not a process of simple discovery or of being filled up (like

and empty vessel) with pre-packed information. Rather knowledge is developed by

individuals as they build (construct) on the knowledge of those who came before and

were able to communicate. Thus, there are individual and social elements to learning.

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• We should be careful how we use the terms truth, learn, fact, knowledge and belief.

These concepts mean different things to different people.

• Constructing knowledge is not the same as constructing truth.

• Learning does not always lead directly to the truth. Sometimes learners stray from the

truth and need to be directed (e.g. by teachers). This process involves examination,

assessment and correction.

To the above, Fox (2001: 23-35) adds that there are six core elements of all theories on

constructivism:

• Learning is an active process.

• Knowledge is constructed rather than passively absorbed.

• Knowledge is invented, rather than discovered.

• Knowledge is both individually and socially constructed since it builds on the learning

of others.

• Learning is essentially a process of making sense of the world.

• Effective learning requires meaningful, open-ended, challenging problems for learners

to solve.

3.4.2.3 Transforming the apartheid education system

Influenced by the theoretical frameworks explained above, the political, religious and

educational perspectives to transform the first OBE curriculum system to the NCS led to new

education policies on outcomes-based education, the Revised NCS (RNCS 2002) as well as

the latest NCS (Department of Education, 2010 (a)) being introduced. From the first OBE

perspectives on designing and implementing the curriculum, the transformation of the

curriculum came with ideals that seemed to be rooted in constructivist approaches. This was

an attempt to move away from the rigid and idealistic National Christian Education

perspectives mentioned in the literature review in chapter 2.

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3.4.2.4 The impact of constructivism on learning and teaching

The constructivist perspective was introduced to the teaching and learning environment

through the principles of the NCS. The intention was to transform teaching and learning and

the education system as a whole. Using constructivist views allowed for the creation of an

enabling teaching and learning environment for all learners. Constructivist approaches to the

teaching and learning environment allowed the learners to construct their own learning,

skills, knowledge, and values that eventually lead to acquiring qualifications.

In this study (as mentioned in chapter 1), the introduction of constructivism through the

principles of the NCS was seen as a perspective to organise, plan, interpret and implement

the curriculum. This includes the ability of subject advisers and teachers to effectively

manage teaching and learning programmes and assessment processes inside and outside

the classrooms (Lubisi et al., 1997: 91); Tema, 1997: 2; Killen, 1998: vii). Principals and

teachers still find it difficult to implement the principle of inclusion in the classrooms and

schools.

While in the NCS, constructivist approaches to teaching and learning were used to introduce

a shift from a rigid, content-driven curriculum as a blueprint, compared to the first OBE

approach, it seems the “Curriculum News” perspective version of OBE is relatively rigid and

content-driven. There is therefore a conflict of philosophy between the first OBE approach of

1998 and the “Curriculum News” version of the NCS, especially that there is now more

emphasis on books than before (Lubisi et al., 1997: 7; Spady, 1988: 4–8).

3.5 THE IMPACT OF COGNITIVE AND SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIVIST APPROACHES

Cognitive Constructivism is derived from the work of Piaget who defines learning as a

process of accommodation, assimilation and equilibrium. Social Constructivism is pioneered

by people such as Vygotski. “[T]his paradigm argues for the importance of culture and

context in forming understanding” (McMahon, 1997:3). Whereas traditional behaviourists

(positivists) strive for context-free learning, social constructivists view the particular contexts

75

in which learning occurs as significant. According to this theory the student should participate

in activities which are relevant to the applied learning. Such authentic learning means

learning should take place in a setting that is similar to the context where the leaning will be

applied. Vygotski indicates that learning is not only an internal process, nor a passive

shaping of behaviour. Rather learning is a social process facilitated by language via social

discourse. Thus, co-operative learning and social negotiation in the (Life Orientation)

classroom are useful, as is mentoring. Learners should collaborate with their peers, rather

than compete with one another.

As in Piaget and Vygostky’s cognitive and social constructivist theories that focus on what

happens in the learner’s mind during teaching and learning, both in the “Curriculum News”

and the NCS all learners are expected to achieve, regardless of their locality or race (Perry,

1999; Bennet & Dunne, 1994: 54). The view that all learners can learn may be rather

idealistic because it is frustrating for teachers to deal with learners who are coping and those

who are struggling in the same classrooms. Accordingly, Merrill (in McMahon, 1997:5)

states: “... even in the ‘softest’ subjects there is often a body of undisputed knowledge.

Constructivist strategies are often not efficient, resulting in ‘a trail-and-error approach to the

performance in the real world”.

The infusion of social constructivism theories into the NCS is informed by the DoE’s training

manual when it refers to “Good Education”. This was also confirmed by Adam (2005: 21).

Through social constructivist approaches it is envisaged the teachers can create a learning

environment that allows learners to work together and in the process develop their own skills,

knowledge and values as they work and support each other under the supervision of the

teachers (Department of Education, 2002(a): 12; Grosser & de Waal, 2008: 41; Fraser 2006:

13).

In this study, the positivist perspective seems to be less effective in transforming teaching

and learning and is therefore replaced by the constructivist perspective. Cognitive and social

constructivism approaches to teaching and learning imply that materials provided to teachers

have to change from the ‘didactic input-compulsion' to constructivist outcomes-based

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materials. There seems to be a contradiction between this view of transforming the

curriculum and the emphasis on tests, textbooks and examinations as a way of

strengthening the NCS (Jansen, 1998: 28; Kanpol, 1995: 9; Department of Education,

2010(a): 2).

Through the implementation of the principles of the NCS, therefore, cognitive and social

constructivist approaches can help learners to be actively involved in their own learning and

solve their own problems. Parents and other people in society can help because education

is a societal issue (Fraser, 2006: 13). However, the latest transformation processes of the

curriculum seem to be moving towards the abovementioned didactic input-compulsion

materials that may limit learner involvement in their own learning.

Life Orientation and other teachers play an important role in learning. The problem is that the

current NCS seems to view teachers as lacking the ability and skills to teach and to evaluate

the learners. This problem needs to be addressed as part of strengthening the NCS. To

improve on the process of curriculum transformation that started in 1994 requires the

creation of an environment that allows learners to cognitively and socially construct their own

skills, knowledge and values. This requires skilled and well-qualified teachers in the use of

different forms of teaching and assessment methods. Evans (1993: 19) asserts that the real

construction of skills, knowledge and values in education depends on whether teachers

guide learners and provide them with the required resources.

The core of transforming education is, therefore, the teachers and their new roles (Killen,

1998: 3). There is a contradiction between the role of the teacher in the first OBE approach

and the latest version of the NCS communicated through the “Curriculum News”. The role of

the teacher is no longer clear but seems to be somewhere between the first OBE approach

and the latest version of the NCS. If teachers are not trained in the new perspective of

transforming the curriculum, the quality of teaching and learning could be compromised.

The participation of society in the transformation of education and the implementation of the

principles of the NCS could also be enhanced. As mentioned in the literature review, from

77

the first OBE approach it was taught that using constructivist theories in the teaching and

learning environment could help to support the idea that educating learners should not be the

responsibility of teachers only. Learning is no longer limited to the classroom because

education is now a societal issue that requires the government to work together with

teachers, learners, parents, schools governing bodies and other stakeholders to make

education a national priority (African National Congress Manifesto, 2009: 9). This is in

particular true of Life Orientation which is concerned with values.

Constructive participation in teaching and learning activities can help to ensure that learners

are provided with high standards in the learning process and their success could be

maximized (Department of Education, 1997(g): 18; Jansen & Christie, 1999: 7). According to

the principles of the NCS, it is through the interaction of learners both in the classroom and

outside the classroom, that skills, knowledge and values are constructed. This also enables

learners to leave educational institutions with qualifications that can give them better

opportunities in their adult lives.

3.6 CONCLUSION

Chapter three presented theoretical frameworks on teaching and learning and on (Life

Orientation) curricula development and implementation. Two diverse learning theories were

explained namely positivist and constructivist approaches and their implications for teaching

and learning pointed out.

In the next chapter the implications of constructivist approaches for teaching methods in Life

Orientation are explained.

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CHAPTER 4

LIFE ORIENTATION IN GRADE 10

4.1 INTRODUCTION

The previous chapter presented the different learning theories that impacted on the

development and implementation of the South African curriculum during periods of political

change. This chapter focuses directly on Life Orientation in Grade 10. Thus the chapter

explores the subject of Life Orientation and the teaching methods and principles of the NCS

in grade 10.

4.2 CONSTRUCTIVIST LEARNING AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LEARNER

Constructivist approaches to teaching and learning are about how learners learn (Moll, 2002:

28). Constructivism in Life Orientation aims at the development of the individual learner’s

personal, social, intellectual, emotional, spiritual, motor and physical growth (Department of

Education, 2003(a): 9). As stated in chapter 2 and 3, using constructivist principles in the

teaching of Life Orientation aims at producing learners who will be able to live harmoniously

with their fellow human beings and make a positive contribution to the society in which they

live. According to the NCS policy document (Department of Education, 2005(d): 9), the

anticipated impact of constructivist approaches to the teaching and learning of the subject

Life Orientation is that learners will be able to ‘study themselves in relation to others and

society’. In view of the fact that the NCS promotes lifelong learning and development,

constructivism is seen as an approach that will enable the subject of Life Orientation to guide

and prepare learners for life.

The problem identified by Bhana et al., (2005: 40) is that some schools do not teach Life

Orientation at all, while others merge large numbers of learners and thus create

overcrowding in classes. Failure to teach Life Orientation and the merging of classes that

lead to overcrowding could mean that constructivist approaches do not lead to the desired

79

outcomes in the classroom. The implication is that the principles of the NCS are not

implemented effectively, according to the policies of the Department of Education.

Therefore, all learners do not acquire the anticipated personal skills nor the required social,

intellectual, emotional, spiritual, motor and physical growth. The skills, knowledge and

values gained through the teaching of all other subjects in the education system are

important, but culminate in the learning outcomes of Life Orientation.

4.2.1 Constructivist learning and the learning outcomes

Through constructivist learning, certain outcomes need to be achieved. The following

learning outcomes are seen as important for Life Orientation in Grade 10 (Department of

Education, 2003(a): 10):

4.2.1.1 The personal well-being of the learner

Constructive learning focuses on the personal well-being of learners so that in the teaching

and learning environment the learner’s potential can be realised. The learner is equipped to

be able to engage effectively in interpersonal relationships in life. A constructive teaching

and learning approach transforms the classroom and helps to ensure that education does

not end in the classroom but becomes a societal issue. Ongoing classroom transformation

and participation helps to guarantee that the learners are holistically developed to cope with

the challenges of life in a democratic society (Department of Education, 2002(a): 1 – 3).

Every NCS subject policy in a school is therefore supported by the subject Life Orientation

which is based on constructive approaches in order to ensure that as the learners are taught,

they develop socially, physically, personally, emotionally and intellectually.

The positive impact of the principles of the NCS is meant to result in the personal well-being

of the learners and eventually, the members of society. In this way the country’s democracy

will be strengthened because people will be literate, creative and productive enough to

sustain the country. Therefore, the impact of constructivist learning on the personal well-

being of the learner is aimed at teaching learners to live harmoniously with their fellow

80

human beings. The learning that is facilitated in the subject Life Orientation encourages

learners to develop and make an effective contribution to the society in which they live and to

live healthy lifestyles.

4.2.1.2 The citizenship of the learner

The focus of constructivist learning with regard to the citizenship of the learner is about

addressing the personal needs of the individual within a changing and democratic society as

required by the constitution. The aim of the learning facilitated by the subject Life Orientation

is to strive for a community free from violence, discrimination and prejudice. According to the

Department of Education (1997(a): 47) the realisation of constructive citizenship requires an

appropriate attitude towards learning and development, as well as a commitment to lifelong

learning by the teachers, learners and citizens. Lifelong learning implies that training and

development to empower the citizens to participate effectively in all processes of a

democratic society is a never-ending process.

According to UNICEF (2002) and Rooth (2000), people need skills in order to cope with the

demands of life. Learners require the life skills referred to in chapter 1, 2, 3 and 4 in this

study so that they can live meaningful and successful lives in society. Education is therefore

a societal issue and requires the constructive involvement of parents in the development of

their own children. The constructive approach to the subject Life Orientation should develop

the learners holistically so that they can participate in their communities and society in

general.

Studies by Donald, Lazarus and Lolwana (1997) as well as Gachuhi (1999) show that the

education system must also create a learning environment in which learners will develop

psychologically so that they can be competent and be part of a “prosperous, united,

democratic and internationally competitive country with literate, creative and critical citizens,

leading productive, self-fulfilled lives in a country free from violence, discrimination and

prejudice.” Therefore, there is a need to ensure that as the NCS is strengthened, teachers

are also trained in constructivist teaching methods in order to ensure that they produce the

81

kind of learner required by society and envisaged by the introduction of the principles of the

NCS.

4.2.1.3 Recreation and physical involvement

Constructivist learning with regard to recreation and the physical development of the learner

requires physical movement to promote constructive participation in games and sport.

Amongst others, this aims to promote healthy relations among learners. According to

Adams, Kayes and Kolb (2005) and Mwamwenda (1996) a learner at the age of grade 10

experiences various difficulties related to his/her physical, cognitive, social and psychological

development. Therefore, constructivist teaching and learning approaches in the subject Life

Orientation can help teachers to create opportunities for recreation and physical activities

that include competitions, debates, cultural and other activities as strategies to contribute

towards the holistic development of the learner. These activities and relevant Life

Orientation programmes can be used to address adolescent issues that could be negative

and destructive to the development and behaviour of learners.

4.2.1.4 Careers and career choices

Constructivist approaches to the teaching and learning environment allow learners to actively

participate in guidance, career choice and counselling that are actually ‘old’ subjects that

were incorporated into Life Orientation. As part of gaining information, learners can be

supported by their teachers so that they may be informed in respect of relevant future

careers and employment prospects (Department Of Education, 2003(c): 10–12). Careers

and career choices are an important aspect of Life Orientation.

In various ways learners can constructively be engaged through the subject of Life

Orientation to actively participate in the “world of work and careers”. If learners are helped to

be well developed and have the social skills required by the country, they could be

responsible citizens and contribute effectively to the development of the economy (Naicker,

1994).

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Learners equipped with skills required by them and the country should not have difficulty in

making career and life choices. The aim of this study, as already stated, is to evaluate the

impact of the principles of the NCS in terms of the Grade 10 Life Orientation school subject

in the province of Gauteng (Dube, 1994; Euvrard, 1994; Naicker, 1994; Ntshangase, 1995,

Makhoba, 1999; Mbokazi, 1999; Marais, 1998).

4.3 TWO TEACHING APPROACHES

This study will focus on what may be considered as the two main teaching approaches to

ensure constructive learning of the subject Life Orientation in grade 10. Both the deductive

and the inductive teaching approaches are linked to the principles of the NCS. These two

approaches are perceived as the overarching approaches to the beneficial learning of Life

Orientation. These approaches may assist in ensuring that the principles of the NCS have

an impact on the education of learners.

4.3.1 The deductive approach

According to Rubin & Babbie (2001: 35) the deductive approach “moves from the general to

the specific” – in other words, it involves the use of knowledge about matters that are

generally accepted to be true (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 2008: 381). The

deductive approach may be defined as a teaching approach that is based on the principle

that, if the premise is correct, then the conclusion will automatically be correct.

The deductive approach requires teachers to create an environment that is conducive for the

principles of the NCS to make a positive impact on the teaching of Life Orientation in Grade

10. If the learning environment is conducive, then teachers will be able to use the

environment deductively to reach the aims and principles of the NCS in terms of Life

Orientation.

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Using the deductive approach, the learners may be guided by the teacher to allow the

principles of the NCS in respect of Life Orientation to have an impact in assisting them to

think critically as they create their own skills, knowledge and values. In Life Orientation

values play an integral part in the holistic development of the learner (Department of

Education, 2003(c): 6).

The holistic development of the learner has been important in Life Orientation from the first

OBE approach and, thus, the principles of the NCS in respect of Life Orientation focus on

emphasising values and not materialistic or idealistic ideas based on right and wrong

answers. Various methods and processes may be used by teachers to ensure that the

principles of the NCS in respect of Life Orientation do have a positive impact. There are

assessment standards that must be attained by the learners to prove that they achieve the

outcomes as they continue to learn (Alexander, 1998; Mbokazi, 1999; Ntshangase, 1995;

Sitzer, 2001; Van Deventer, 2004; Wentzel, 2001; Department of Education, 2002(b): 7;

Department of Education, 2002(a); Department of Education, 2008(b): 14). Suggested

methods include case studies, lectures, presentations and demonstrations, practical action

on the part of learners, and project work. These will now briefly be discussed.

4.3.1.1 Case studies

When the deductive approach is used in terms of a case study in the classroom situation, the

teacher, knowing the sequence, will commence by providing the learners with a specific

general statement. The teacher will then proceed to apply this general statement to a

particular case. In this study, for the purposes of ensuring that the principles of the NCS in

respect of Life Orientation do have an impact, teachers may make use of case studies that

could be applied in the formal assessment tasks prescribed by the Department of Education.

The use of case studies is not only suitable for Life Orientation but for all other subjects in a

curriculum (Department of Education, 2008(b): 14).

Rosenberg, O’Donoghue and Olvitt (2007: 20) and the Learning Programme Guidelines (in

Department of Education, 2008(b): 14) both state that case studies provide the best

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alternative to being involved in the actual situation. The case studies may involve sharing

stories among learners and allowing them to discuss the way in which they dealt with issues

in coping with situations.

The use of case studies is aimed at helping to ensure that the principles of the NCS in

respect of Life Orientation have the required positive impact because, when case studies are

used as a method to teach in the classroom, the learners are required to participate. They

discuss issues with their fellow learners and in this way the use of language is also

promoted. This is in line with socio-constructivist learning principles as indicated in the

previous chapter. Therefore, in the policies of the Department of Education and in the NCS

policy of each subject in a school, the use of language addresses Learning Outcome 2, and

Assessment Standards 1 and 4 as stated in the Grade 10 Life Orientation policy document

(Department of Education, 2003(a): 16).

4.3.1.2 Lectures, presentations and demonstrations

This method involves teachers making formal presentations of ideas and content to the

learners. The planning of learning and assessment programmes by using multiple teaching

and learning strategies, such as lectures, presentations, demonstrations, group discussions,

and so on, could help to ensure that the principles of the NCS in respect of Life Orientation

do have a positive impact. In addition, the use of lectures, presentations and demonstrations

may help to accommodate learners with special educational needs. This method promotes

the presentation and sharing of ideas and skills through slide shows, power-point

presentations, talks, lectures and demonstrations (Rosenberg et al., 2007: 18; Department of

Education, 2008(b): 14).

In terms of this study the use of lectures, presentations and demonstrations to present Life

Orientation lessons links up with the constructivist theories of Piaget and Vygotsky which

were mentioned in chapter 1 and 3. Although lectures, presentations and demonstrations by

teachers are teacher-centred they do provide learners with the opportunity to construct their

own skills, knowledge and values in the learning situation through giving attention and

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cognitive activity. Thus, they could eventually leave the education system with qualifications

that could give them opportunities in adult life. Constructively, learners may also create a

collective meaning of what is presented or demonstrated to them. According to this study,

presentations are in line with the principles of the NCS Regarding Learning Outcome 2, and

Assessment Standard 1 and 4 (Department of Education, 2003(a): 16).

In terms of this study, the principles of the NCS in respect of Life Orientation are aimed at

having a positive impact that requires learners to be involved in ongoing assessment which

create learning opportunities for them. Therefore, learners need to practise and to be able to

construct their own knowledge and understanding in a progressive way. This necessitates

clear NCS policies for each school subject that are also linked to the Life Orientation NCS

policy. In this way, the integration and implementation of NCS policies across the subjects in

a school, create a teaching and learning environment in which learners engage and interact

with one another and, during this process, acquire their own skills, knowledge, values,

morals and standards as they are taking part in the teaching and learning in their

classrooms. The aim is to develop the learner holistically (Capper & Jamison, 1993: 30;

Killen, 2000(b): 4).

4.3.1.3 Practical action of learners

Learning also takes place outside the classroom and in the community. Practical action

means that learners act with the purpose of addressing a practical need within a local

context (Rosenberg et al., 2007: 23). Teachers continuously guide the learners during the

performance of tasks in their actions. According to Marais (1998), teachers should also

consult learners about their choices for practical action and thus their learning and

development. In this way, learning becomes part of everyday life and is not limited to either

the classroom or the learning programme.

In terms of this study, the principles of the NCS in respect of Life Orientation have an impact

through practical learner participation in local cultural and social contexts. Learning Outcome

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2 and Assessment Standard 1 may be realised through such practical action on the part of

learners (Department of Education, 2003(a): 16).

4.3.1.4 Project work

Project work involves the use of practical projects in order for learners to actively construct

their knowledge. In Life Orientation the learners learn by being directly involved in projects

such as those undertaken in the context of social and cultural clubs in order to address social

and cultural issues. In this way learners learn in real situations and they gain practical

experience. Project work links up with social constructivist learning theory that advocates

learning through active participation (Rosenberg et al., 2007: 25).

This study concurs with the principles of the NCS in respect of Life Orientation: they have an

impact when learners learn by their direct involvement in projects and become agents of

change. Learning Outcome 2 and Assessment Standard 1 are addressed by the learners

being involved in projects (Department of Education 2003(a): 16).

As stated earlier in this chapter, the deductive approach is a suitable for teachers as it

employs different strategies that allow the principles of the NCS in respect of Life Orientation

to have an impact on education. Depending on the nature or structure of a subject, the

teachers will decide whether learning is best promoted by either the deductive or the

inductive approach.

4.3.2 The inductive approach

The inductive approach is an approach that moves from the particular to the general. Leedy

(2001: 35) defines the inductive approach as an approach which uses “specific instances or

occurrences” in order to draw conclusions. The inductive approach involves using particular

facts or approaches in order either to move from the particular to the general or to formulate

general rules (Babbie & Mouton, 2001: 34; Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 2008:

761). In the teaching and learning situation the inductive approach may be defined as a

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teaching approach that may be adopted when teachers intend the learners to make their own

discoveries and generalisations. In terms of this study, the principles of the NCS in respect of

Life Orientation may create a teaching and learning environment in which learners are

allowed to make observations and then move to the unknown in order to draw conclusions

from the observations that were made.

Life Orientation teachers may use this approach either to provide information or to cite

examples and then to use case studies, presentations, projects, and so on to allow learners

the opportunity to acquire and construct skills, knowledge and values (Johnson &

Christensen, 2000: 9; Nieman & Monyai, 2006: 106). For example, in Life Orientation

learners may be given a compulsory research task to complete. The principles of the NCS in

respect of Life Orientation aim at having a positive impact on the education of learners when

there are formal tasks in which learners are given an opportunity to make their own

discoveries and draw conclusions rather than simply being given the information

(Department of Education, 2008(b); Department of Education, 2008(a)).

In terms of both the main approaches, the principles of the NCS for Life Orientation may

have a positive impact. The principles of the NCS for Life Orientation may be used by

teachers to create patterns and practices in the teaching and learning environment in order

to account for effective learning.

4.3 TEACHING METHODS APPROPRIATE FOR THE NCS SUBJ ECTS

The NCS subjects were originally designed to focus on education and training that would

produce competent learners. Lebeloane (1998: 93), Killen (2000(b): 1) as well as Nieman

and Monyai (2006: 6) highlight appropriate teaching strategies and methods that can be

applied by teachers in the implementation of the NCS subjects in classrooms. In addition to

the teaching of Life Orientation, if appropriate teaching strategies are used to teach the rest

of the NCS subjects, quality learners can be provided to employers and tertiary institutions.

In the process of preparing learners, teachers need to know the lesson outcomes to be

achieved and be able to choose the relevant teaching strategy.

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When a teacher teaches a subject, one or a variety of teaching strategies may be adjusted in

accordance with the learning outcomes to be achieved or level of learner development.

These teaching strategies can be applied through any of the approaches of constructivism,

for example cognitive or social constructivism. Specific teaching strategies become

particularly important because the approach to teaching and learning is constructivist.

Contrary to the didactics approach (in accordance with positivist or behaviourist learning

theories) where the main focus is on the teacher to teach, constructivist approaches to the

NCS promote learner-centeredness. While the teaching and learning environment in the

NCS does not mean applying a different teaching strategy for every lesson or bit of

information, teachers need to use appropriate teaching strategies in order to assist the

learners to achieve the different learning outcomes across the subject offerings. When

dealing with the new curriculum it is important to note that the National Qualifications

Framework (NQF) was designed to focus on education and training that produces competent

learners.

While the Department of Education puts more emphases on group-work as a teaching

strategy, it is important to note that in the FET band (schools) a variety of strategies is

required in helping learners to achieve the required skills, knowledge, values and

qualifications within the subject offerings. Teachers can use appropriate teaching strategies

with the cognitive and social approaches to constructivism to create a learning environment

conducive for learners to achieve the expected outcomes.

In teaching all subjects (including Life Orientation), it is important for teachers to be skilled in

their work so that they will know when to use or combine teaching strategies to constructively

assist learners to achieve the outcomes of the different subjects. It is important to know that

each teaching strategy has advantages and disadvantages. Depending on the

competencies of a teacher and the experience of the learners, a variety of appropriate

teaching strategies can and should be used in the teaching of the NCS subjects.

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4.5 DIFFERENT TEACHING METHODS FOR NCS SUBJ ECTS

The different teaching methods are discussed below. These are used in the teaching of the

NCS subjects outlined in chapter 2.

4.5.1 Using direct instruction as teaching strategy

4.5.1.1 The objective of direct instruction

The direct instruction strategy aims at presenting very specific background information,

demonstrating an activity or telling a story to the entire class of learners (Killen, 2000(b): 3;

Nieman & Monyai, 2006: 107). This is done by

• Immediately making the learning outcomes clear

• Controlling the teaching learning activities

• Emphasizing the academic achievement of the learner

• Monitoring the learners throughout the learning process

• Giving feedback to learners

4.5.1.2 Teacher participation

Many teachers, especially those from the former Department of Education and Training

background, use the direct instruction approach because they were not familiarized with

other teaching strategies or methods. This strategy is teacher-centred whereby the teacher

delivers the lesson or academic content. It is used by many teachers who are not

comfortable with any other teaching strategy. In this strategy the teacher therefore directs

the learning activities while the learners pay attention or listen passively (Lebeloane, 1998:

109; Killen 2000(b): 3; Nieman & Monyai,2006: 107).

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4.5.1.3 Learner participation

When using direct instruction learner participation is minimal. The learners pay attention (or

not). They listen passively while learning activities are directed by the teacher (Lebeloane,

1998: 109; Killen, 2000(b): 3: Nieman & Monyai, 2006: 107).

4.5.1.4 Commonly used teaching aids

Prepared lectures, demonstrations, reports, storytelling and repetition, use a data projector

or a video tape for example, as teaching aids. These may prevent lessons from being a

boring one way communication from the teacher to the learners who are listening passively

(Lebeloane, 1998: 109; Killen, 2000(b): 3; Nieman & Monyai, 2006: 107).

4.5.1.5 Implications for the NCS policy document

The direct instruction strategy can be extremely effective if used interchangeably with other

strategies in the NCS subject offerings. This strategy can be used to facilitate the acquisition

of the required skills, knowledge and values in the Further Education and Training Band

(FET schools). Teachers can improve this strategy by letting learners recap or summarise

what has been said either verbally or in writing. This may ensure that the required NCS

learning outcomes are attained. This approach can be extremely effective if the teacher is

well prepared and organized. This method is especially suitable if the teachers are

successful in ensuring that they and the learners have a clear understanding of the NCS

learning outcomes to be attained (Spady, 1988; Lubisi et al., 1997: 34

The direct instruction method is also appropriate to be used in the social constructivist

approach where learners can still participate actively under the guidance of the teacher. In

OBE teaching learning situations, this method is most appropriate when a new topic or

lesson is introduced or demonstrated to learners. As is the case with all the other teaching

strategies, the direct instruction method will be useful in some learning situations but not in

others. When used in a social constructivist way the direct instruction method can help

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learners to achieve (Nieman & Monyai, 2006: 14). Although the direct instruction method can

be very effective, learners can become bored if the teacher is either not well prepared or has

poor communication skills (Killen, 2000(b)).

4.5.2 Using discussion as teaching strategy

4.5.2.1 The objective of discussion as teaching strategy

Discussion is a versatile teaching and learning strategy that can be adapted in order to allow

learners to share and analyze information and thus construct knowledge in a dynamic way.

It aims at actively involving learners in order to help them air their views and in this process

of the construction of knowledge, skills and values, gain acceptance and a sense of

belonging. This is in line with social constructivist learning theory as indicated in the previous

chapter.


It seems that the use of discussions in the teaching and learning situations is extremely

challenging because the teacher does not only need to be well prepared but also to be

competent and effective in sharing ideas and expressing views with learners during

discussions or in allowing them to do so among themselves. This implies that the teacher

must be competent in a number of other teaching strategies that can be used. “Discussion is

not simply a matter of the teacher presenting some information to learners and then asking

questions” (Killen, 2000(a): 32). The challenge for the teacher is to guide teaching and

learning activities in such a way that classroom discussions and the expression of ideas

happen in an integrated way that promotes the construction of knowledge.


Learners work together and get an opportunity to compare a variety of perspectives.

Lebeloane (1998: 121) and Killen (2000(a): 32) concur that the discussion teaching strategy

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provides learners with ‘opportunities for linguistic and personal development’. As a tool for

social constructivism, purposeful discussions can help learners develop confidence and

interpersonal skills as they actively engage in the construction of knowledge and ideas for

their own understanding.


Class discussions, group discussions, panel discussions, brainstorming sessions and

debates are some of the methods that can be used to enhance the value of discussion as

teaching strategy. Any identifiable, challenging and realistic topic or problem which warrants

investigation and a solution can be given to learners to discuss. In accordance with

constructivist ideas, the topic should be relevant to the learners’ lives (see section 3.5).


It would seem that the discussion strategy is one of the best teaching strategies that can be

used by teachers to facilitate the acquisition of the required skills, knowledge and values as

well as the Critical Cross-field Outcomes envisaged by OBE and the Constitution of South

Africa, as follows. The required skills, knowledge and values can be achieved through:

• Learners’ working together in the process of achieving learning outcomes

• Learners having an opportunity to share, compare ideas and develop together

towards being responsible citizens

• Learners comparing a diversity of perspectives and learning to accept one another

• Group consensus that is to be promoted

• Learners’ introduced to complex issues that have implications for the country

• Learners’ communication skills that are developed so that they can communicate

effectively

• Learners afforded an opportunity to monitor and evaluate approaches to learning

• Learners helped to clarify their thinking

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• A sense of group identity prompted among learners so that they can be able to live

together as citizens in society.

4.5.3 Using group-work as a teaching strategy

4.5.3.1 The objective of group-work

Group work as a teaching strategy aims at grouping learners into two or more learners to

work together in order to achieve a specific outcome. Group work is another effective

teaching strategy that can be used by teachers in the NCS approach.


Group work requires thorough planning and supervision by the teacher. The teacher must

be competent and be able to guide the learners during group activities. The use of this

strategy depends on what outcomes a teacher wants the learners to achieve.


Group work enables each learner the opportunity to participate in learning and air his/her

views. More learners are able to participate and more opinions are heard. Thus the learning

experience becomes greater. This active learning participation by all learners enhances the

possibility of attaining the outcome of lifelong learning. Group work is still the preferred

strategy to promote language development, communication and appreciation of different

perceptions. While the teacher gives guidance, this strategy relies on the participation of

learners to be successfully applied.


Learners can be grouped in many different ways, such as teaching the whole class in small

groups, in pairs, groups of three to six, or any other combination. This strategy is usually

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used when learners have to do assignments, tasks for portfolio work, action research,

brainstorm ideas, projects, role-playing, and panel discussions (Killen, 2000(a)).

4.5.3.5 Implications of group-work for the NCS policy document

In the different NCS learning fields and subject groupings teachers can use different teaching

strategies and a variety of teaching methods to prepare learners to meet the promotion

requirements in the different FET grades. The teacher competencies in combining different

teaching strategies with various teaching methods can contribute towards assisting learners

to attain outcomes in a lifelong learning environment.

Group work is used to share information and build a strong environment for the attainment of

the required skills, knowledge and values in the NCS. If the strategy has been thoroughly

planned in advance:

• the individual skills of learners can be developed

• planning skills are encouraged

• role clarification takes place

• creativity and critical thinking are encouraged.

In order to guarantee that group work achieves its objectives, the teacher has to ensure that

the learners are well prepared. Group leaders and scribes must be chosen or elected and

every learner must participate.

Since proper implementation of the different NCSs requires high levels of competence in the

application of various teaching strategies, another strategy that can be used, once the group

teaching strategy has been mastered, is co-operative learning.

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4.5.4 Using co-operative learning as teaching strategy

4.5.4.1 The objective of co-operative learning as teaching strategy

Co-operative learning aims at creating an opportunity for the learners to work together to

achieve shared goals and in the process construct the required skills that will eventually lead

to the attainment of Critical Outcomes (COs). It is a strategy that facilitates the acquisition of

the required knowledge and values through letting learners co-operate with each other in the

learning process. Co-operative or collaborative learning seeks to develop autonomous,

articulate, thinking people, even if this happens via dissent and competition (Mathew in

Barkley, Cross & Major, 2005:6).

4.5.4.2 Nature of teacher involvement

The role of the teacher in the co-operative learning/teaching strategy is to firstly, make sure

that the learners have become proficient in group work before the co-operative teaching

strategy is introduced. The teacher has to monitor, support and ensure that all the small

groups are effectively interacting and productive. Although the co-operative approach can

be challenging (e.g. it may create a lot of noise), if the teacher makes sure that it is used

after the learners have mastered both the discussion and group discussion strategies, a

method of lifelong learning can be facilitated.


According to Killen (2000(b): 100), co-operative learning as a teaching strategy can be used

especially when learners are set a co-operative task and they work together to achieve

learning outcomes. This fosters peer interaction and learner-to-learner co-operation.

Learners achieve the required skills as they

• engage in learning activities

• strive towards achieving learning outcomes

• interact with each other and in the process gain self-esteem.

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4.5.4.4 Commonly used teaching aids or media

No doubt co-operative learning as a teaching strategy can be utilised to encourage learners

to do assessment tasks, assignments, portfolio work, action research and other tasks as they

work together and support each other. For these tasks various teaching aids or media should

be used such as books, newspaper reports, journal articles, the internet, and television and

radio broadcasts.


From the abovementioned elements of co-operative learning is seems clear that co-operative

learning as a teaching strategy can facilitate the acquisition of the required skills, knowledge

and values stated in subjects, including in Life Orientation. This teaching strategy can be

used to create positive group norms in the classroom and enable learners to function as

teams and in the process acquire social norms that will help to develop them into responsible

citizens. Learners learn to appreciate the different cultural groups they meet at school and in

the classrooms.

Similar to group work, co-operative learning as teaching strategy is one of the most preferred

teaching strategies in the implementation of OBE in South Africa. This teaching strategy has

the following features:

• Positive inter-dependence on one another

• Face to face interaction

• Individual accountability of the learners

• Productive interaction

• Reflective learning by learners

Similar to discussion and group work, the so-operative teaching strategy is particularly

effective if the intended outcomes are related to social and communication skills (Van der

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Horst & McDonald, 1997: 127; Lebeloane, 1998: 112; Killen, 2000(b): 100; Nieman &

Monyai, 2006: 126).

4.5.5 Problem solving as a teaching strategy

4.5.5.1 The objective of the problem solving strategy

The problem solving technique aims at assisting learners to apply their current knowledge to

gain further skills, knowledge and values. It can be used in the classrooms as a form of

enquiry learning with the intention of solving specified problems.


Teachers use the problem solving strategy to help learners to realize that the knowledge

they have gained can be applied to new situations. The teacher confines him/herself to the

structure of the problem and intervenes only through comments, suggestions and

encouraging statements towards finding solutions (Killen, 2000(b): 129; Nieman & Monyai,

2006: 117).


When using the problem solving technique, learners are actively involved in solving

problems. These problems should be relevant to their lives. Thus, they may gain insight into

issues presented in their different subjects (Van der Horst & MacDonald, 1997: 139;

Lebeloane, 1998: 132; Nieman & Monyai, 2006).

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Commonly used teaching aids for problem solving, includes: identifying realistic challenges

and encouraging learners to use different perspectives in solving these. In addition, asking

questions and allowing learners to help one another to solve problems can also be employed

(Nieman & Monyai, 2006: 117).


The problem solving teaching strategy could actively engage learners in the different subject

offerings and allow them to develop new skills, knowledge and values required by the

different learning outcomes. When correctly used, this strategy can be used by learners to

integrate knowledge across the learning fields (Lebeloane, 1998: 132). The problem solving

teaching strategy can be used to engage learners in seeking knowledge, processing

information and applying ideas gained from the different subjects and learning fields to solve

problems in real world situations. At the level of the FET this is a strategy that can be used

to help learners to solve problems beyond the classroom context. Thus, life-long learning is

facilitated.

4.5.6 Research as a teaching strategy

4.5.6.1 The objective of research

Learner research as a teaching strategy aims at helping learners achieve many outcomes. It

develops learners’ research skills and challenge more capable learners (Killen, 2000(b):

169).


Similar to all the above mentioned teaching strategies, learner research requires thorough

and thoughtful preparation by the teacher. This can be challenging.

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If successfully used, this strategy can create a teaching and learning environment in which

learners develop strong discipline and critical as well as creative thinking skills (Killen,

2000(b): 169). It allows learners to:

• be engaged in in-depth study of content;

• be sceptical about reports and information gathered;

• have increased learners’ interest in a topic;

• learn to take precaution when interpreting information from other people; and

• justify the conclusions reached.


Multi-media are generally used in research. Teachers and learners can use text-books,

newspapers, and electronic media among others.

4.5.6.5 Implications of the research strategy for the NCS policy document

Research is generally done to find solutions to problems. Thus, learners could be actively

engaged in research to develop the skills, knowledge and values required by the different

learning outcomes and to integrate knowledge across the learning fields (Lebeloane, 1998:

132). At the level of the FET this is a strategy that can be used to help learners to do

research beyond the classroom context.

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4.5.7 Electronic Learning (e-Learning) as a teaching strategy

4.5.7.1 The objective electronic learning

Electronic Learning is also called e-Learning. It is useful for teaching Life Orientation and for

other subjects. It aims at integrating teaching and learning with information communication

technology (ICT).


Teachers can teach better because they can acquire more information and content from the

Internet. They become more efficient when they use ICT effectively.


Electronic teaching and learning uses inclusive ICT and other strategies to help learners with

barriers to learning, among others. Learners who are already skilled and work quickly can

have special programmes designed for them. By means of electronic media, learners have

better access to information and audio visual media.


Teachers can provide better teaching when they use laptops and projector presentations.

Moreover, they can design worksheets using MS Word, MS Encarta encyclopaedia and ICT

laboratories. It is not only computers that are needed to teach NCS subjects but all other

types of teaching aids such as radios, overhead and data projectors, and tape recorders,

among others.

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4.5.7.5 Implications of the electronic teaching strategy (e-Learning) for the NCS policy

document

In the facilitation of teaching and learning activities in the FET band for schools, a variety of

electronic media may be used to enhance the quality of teaching and learning in all subjects,

including Life Orientation. E-Learning in education focuses on inter-provincial networking

and sustaining ICT education activities and challenges.

The principles of the NCS in respect of Life Orientation may be applied to bring about

desired changes. In terms of this study, these principles involve planned ways of carrying out

teaching and learning activities during which skills, knowledge and values are constructed

(Klippel & Byram, 2000). Well-trained and developed teachers may adapt easily to the

implementation of the principles of the NCS.

4.6 THE PRINCIPLES OF THE NCS

Life Orientation is one the 23 subjects currently taught in Grade 10 in South Africa. The

Department of Education has identified the following nine principles to be implemented in all

Grade 10 subjects so that the NCS may have a positive impact on the education of learners

as required by the policies of the department.

4.6.1 The principle of social transformation in Life Orientation

4.6.1.1 What is social transformation?

As stated in chapter 2 and 3, the Constitution of South Africa aims at transforming the

curriculum and the education system in the country. The term “social” means to be

connected to society and the way society is, while “transformation” refers to a complete

change (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 2008: 1572). For such reasons, education

has become a societal issue in South Africa. Life Orientation is a subject that deals with the

social issues that confront learners and society. In this study, the principle of social

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transformation refers to a process of completely redressing past imbalances from the

introduction of the first OBE approach to the latest process of transforming the curriculum. In

the teaching of Life Orientation the aim is towards social transformation that can redress

social issues and past imbalances.

The implementation of the principle of social transformation does not stem solely from the

Department of Education, as it is also found in the Constitution. From the outset, when the

first OBE approach was introduced, the principle of social transformation attempted to use a

new framework, methodology and outcomes, as well as the skills of teachers and learners, to

impact positively on education. Ultimately the aim was to transform the country through

education for all (Davidoff & Lazarus, 1997: 1; Nieman & Monyai, 2006: 74).

4.6.1.2 Social transformation through Life Orientation

Since the inception of democracy in South Africa, OBE has been the vehicle for transforming

education to what the South African education system should be (Van Wyk & Mothata, 1998:

4). The social transformation principle means that the OBE approach to teaching and

learning has been identified as a transformation vehicle to ensure that every individual

receives basic education as required by the Constitution of the country. With this principle of

transformation in education, the NCS aims at making a positive impact that could lead to

overcoming the shortcomings of the old apartheid system. Social transformation through the

teaching of the subject Life Orientation is meant to ensure that social transformation starts in

schools where learners attain the required skills, knowledge and values (Davidoff & Lazarus,

1997: 1; Nieman & Monyai, 2006: 74). Thus, social transformation must affirm and recognise

the potential of all learners. The Department of Education uses the principle of social

transformation to impact on and to remove the barriers that hamper learning.

As stated in chapters 1, 2 and 3, the introduction of the first OBE approach and the principles

of the NCS in education implies a constructivist approach to both teaching and learning

because the notion of allowing learners to construct their own skills, knowledge and values is

promoted. As indicated, the implementation of the principles of the NCS for Life Orientation

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leads to transformation in education when lessons and tasks are planned and presented in a

manner that attempts to address the social issues that confront learners and teachers. A

constructivist approach to social transformation allows learners the opportunity to participate

constructively and actively in the classroom. In terms of Life Orientation, social

transformation means that through constructive learning, later in life learners will hopefully be

able to participate in the real world as responsible citizens (Jansen & Christie, 1999: 661).

Past imbalances have meant that social problems are, in general, inherent in the system. It is

not possible to effect social transformation overnight. As will be seen in the remainder of the

chapter, ensuring that the principle of social transformation is successful continues to be a

process of improving and developing curriculum policies and strategies. This led to the latest

version of curriculum transformation which reduced teacher workload and administrative

work for teachers.

4.6.2 Principle of outcomes-based education (OBE)

4.6.2.1 What is OBE?

The principles of the NCS originate from the National Education Policy Act No. 27 of 1996: 3.

This act states that OBE is a “learner-centred, result-oriented approach to education and

training that builds on the notion that all learners need to and can achieve their full potential,

but that this may not happen in the same way or within the same period.” The developmental

outcomes of OBE stem from sections 4(a) and (b) of the Constitution of South Africa and

these developmental outcomes reflect on and explore a variety of strategies to learn more

effectively and to participate as responsible citizens in the life of local, national and global

communities. In terms of the principle of OBE, the first OBE approach, C2005, the NCS-

Revised Curriculum Statement and the “Curriculum News” version of the curriculum are all

an integral part of the NCS. The first OBE approach was perceived as an attractive, learner-

centred system that assists learners to focus on the outcomes they should achieve (Bosman,

2006: 12). In an OBE approach and through the NCS, the aim was to enable all learners to

realise their maximum learning potential by identifying relevant learning outcomes in a lesson

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and then working towards the critical outcomes to be achieved by the end of the education

process as described in the teachers’ guide to phase OBE into FET (in Department of

Education, 2002(a): 111).

The principles of OBE are integrated with the principles of the NCS. As stated in chapter 1

and earlier in this chapter, the introduction of the NCS has implied that South Africa, as a

whole, has accepted a constructivist approach to education (Loots, 2006: 2). When the NCS

was introduced the first OBE approach was not abolished. On the contrary, the new version

of the Curriculum is integrated into the NCS. The principle of OBE was meant to provide,

where possible, an environment or society of equal opportunities and the cultivation of

appropriate skills for all.

With their aims and objectives, the first OBE approach, C2005, the NCS and the “Curriculum

News” version of the curriculum were introduced in order to create equal opportunities. The

aims and objectives of both the first OBE approach and the NCS are closely linked to the

construction of knowledge through social interaction on the part of learners (Fullan, 2001: 8;

Malcolm, 1999: 86). OBE encourages a learner-centred and activity-based approach to

education while the NCS builds its learning outcomes for Grade 10 on the critical and

developmental outcomes that were inspired by the Constitution and developed through a

democratic process.

Accordingly, for purposes of this study OBE remains an integral part of the required positive

impact of the principles of the NCS in respect of Life Orientation. If there were no impact, the

critical outcomes and the developmental outcomes that form part of the principles of the NCS

could not transform education. It is the principles of the NCS that result in the consensus

between the critical outcomes and OBE in accordance with section 4(b) of the Constitution of

South Africa (Act No 27 of 1996). This section provides objectives for enabling the education

system to contribute to the full personal development of each student and to assist learners

to develop critical thinking skills.

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4.6.2.2 OBE in Life Orientation

In this study, the focus is on Life Orientation. Both the critical outcomes and the

developmental outcomes are integrated into the NCS because learners are expected to

possess a high degree of knowledge, values and skills. In the subject of Life Orientation the

principle of OBE would be seen to have a positive impact when learners are motivated to

develop morally, socially, culturally, politically and economically and play an active role in

their communities and society (Van der Horst & MacDonald, 1997: 15). These aims are

derived from the Constitution. In terms of the NCS, the impact of this approach is evaluated

in order to make decisions in respect of which learners or schools are in need of support.

4.6.3 The principle of extraordinary knowledge and skills

4.6.3.1 What is meant by extraordinary knowledge and skills?

The principle of extraordinary knowledge and skills refers to the active construction and

reconstruction of knowledge in both teaching and learning situations. In other words, this

principle refers to teaching and learning situations in which learners engage and interact with

one another in a constructive way and, in the process, obtain extensive knowledge, skills and

values that are of interest to both the learners and society in general (Jansen & Christie,

1999: 45).

Extraordinary knowledge and skills above the usual imply that schools must identify their

needs and contextual factors in order to address challenges such as skills shortages.

Contextual factors cause the needs of the different schools to differ. However, at the end of

a learning programme or grade, all learners are expected to achieve extraordinary

knowledge and skills above what is usual as they progress from one grade to the next.

In this study, the principle of extraordinary knowledge and skills implies the empowerment of

those people who were previously disempowered by a lack of knowledge and skills. The

expected positive impact of the principles of the NCS must ensure the success of the NQF,

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which was designed to focus on education and training that would produce competent

learners and citizens (Lebeloane, 1998: 93; Killen, 2000(b): 1; Nieman & Monyai, 2006: 6).

4.6.3.2 Extraordinary knowledge and skills in Life Orientation

The issues of extraordinary knowledge and skills above what is usual must be addressed

within the Life Orientation curriculum. It is through the teaching of the curriculum that the

principles of the NCS may have a positive impact in the schooling system. The impact of this

principle in Life Orientation may be seen, for example, in situations in which rural schools

include farming or agricultural science in order to address the needs of rural areas. This may,

in turn, constitute part of the development of the learners and help equip them with relevant

knowledge and skills for these contexts (Department of Education, 1997(a): 10).

In order that the principles of the NCS have an impact on the attainment of extraordinary

knowledge and skills from the start, learning programmes in Life Orientation are designed

with specific outcomes that the learners must achieve. Through active participation, learners

are able to obtain and expand their knowledge, skills and values. As learners learn both

within and outside of the classroom, they become accustomed to cooperating with their

peers and thus learn to respect diverse religious, cultural and language traditions and

systems. It is hoped that learners will eventually be able to demonstrate a critical

understanding of the way in which South African society has changed and developed. This

principle of extraordinary knowledge, skills and values is in accordance with the following

principle of integration and applied competence.

4.6.4 The principle of integration and applied competence

4.6.4.1 What is integration and applied competence?

Integration means the combining of two or more things or skills so that they work together

(Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 2008: 775). According to Hatting (2009:1), “applied

competence is the ability to put the learning outcomes that have been developed through a

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learning programme into practice in the relevant context.” In other words, learners that

qualify should be able to understand what they have learnt and they should be able to apply

the knowledge in their everyday lives.

In this study the principle of integration and applied competency has to do with how the NCS

policy of each school subject impacts on that specific subject. The principle of integration

means that the NCS policies of the different subjects are linked in order to have a positive

impact on and overcome the cultural divisions of the past. Integration means integrating

knowledge from different sources into a comprehensible whole (Lebeloane, 1998: 93; Killen,

2000(b): 1; Nieman & Monyai, 2006: 6).

4.6.4.2 Integration and applied competence in Life Orientation

In Life Orientation, the applied competence mentioned above aims at integrating three

discrete competences, namely, practical, foundational and reflective. These competencies

stem from the impact of the NCS policy of each school subject. In adopting integration and

applied competence, the NCS Grades 10–12 (General) seeks to promote an integrated

learning of theory, practice and reflection (s4(a) and (b) of Act No 27 of 1996). The principle

of integration and applied competence implies that is not possible for learners simply to

progress from one grade to the next without attaining the required learning outcomes. This is

illustrated in the application of this principle in Life Orientation.

In terms of Life Orientation, the principle of integration and applied competence is based on

addressing the inequalities which were derived from the past. This principle also integrates

with the principle of transformation. In Life Orientation, if the different cultures are brought

together, the result is transformation. In other words the belief in Life Orientation is that, if we

do not know each other’s culture, we do not know each other, especially at school level. This

study highlights appropriate teaching strategies and methods that may be applied by

teachers if integration and applied competence are to be realised within and across subjects

and fields of learning.

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If the principle of integration and applied competence as well as appropriate teaching

strategies is used, then the result will be quality products for both employers and tertiary

institutions. Therefore, in the process of preparing learners, it is essential that teachers be

aware of the lesson outcomes to be achieved and that they are able to choose the relevant

content so that integration and applied competence may take place. The integration of

knowledge and skills across subjects and terrains of practice is crucial for achieving the

applied competence as defined in the NQF (Department of Education, 1997(b); Department

of Education, 1997(e)).

4.6.5 The principle of progression

4.6.5.1 What is progression?

Progression refers to the process of developing gradually from one state to another (Oxford

Advanced Learners’ Dictionary, 2008: 1161). In the context of the first OBE approach

progression meant that assessment standards are arranged in a format that shows an

increased level of expected performance per grade. Contrary to what many people believe

this principle does not mean that in OBE the learners do not fail. The new system includes

the Foundation Phase, the Intermediate Phase, the Senior Phase and the Further Education

and Training (Schools) Phase. A learner may be retained once only in a phase.

For the curriculum and the principles of the NCS to be implemented effectively, it means that

the schools must be organised according to the abovementioned phases. This

reorganisation of schools into phases according to the curriculum could assist in ensuring

that learners progress better and according to their cohorts. This principle is a response to

section 4 (a) of the Constitution of South Africa (Act No 27 of 1996). Progression means

providing for the recognition of the aptitudes, abilities, interests, prior knowledge and

experience of students. The content and context of each grade will also show progression

from simple to complex.

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4.6.5.2 Progression in Life Orientation

Each learning outcome in Life Orientation is followed by an explicit statement of the level of

performance expected for each specific outcome. Lebeloane (1998: 93), Killen (2000(a): 1)

as well as Nieman and Monyai (2006: 6) concur with section 4(a) of the Constitution by

highlighting appropriate teaching strategies and methods that may be applied by Life

Orientation teachers to ensure that learners attain high and complex skills as they progress

from one grade to the next. This principle goes hand in hand with the following principle of

articulation and portability.

4.6.6 The principle of articulation and portability 4.6.6.1 What is articulation and portability?

According to the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (2008: 69) articulation refers to a

joint or connection that allows or makes it easy for something to be carried or moved.

Articulation and portability imply that learner profiles are easily portable. This means that,

should learners have to move from one school to another, it will be relatively easy for the

next school to acquire information on the learner’s weaknesses and strengths, as well as the

learner’s achievements and successes. This is especially important in respect of

qualifications which fall within the same learning pathway for the learners.

According to section 4(f) of the Constitution education should provide for the achievement of

an integrated approach to education and training within an NQF. In terms of this study, the

principle of articulation and portability refers to the relationship between qualifications in the

different NQF levels or bands in ways that promote access from one qualification to another.

Accordingly, the Subject Statements and Subject Assessment Guidelines are designed to

show progression from one grade to another. A learner would, therefore, not be admitted at

his/her next school without a learner profile from the previous school.

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4.6.6.2 Articulation and portability in Life Orientation

Since there are no external examinations in Life Orientation as yet, the learners have to

move with their portfolios from grade 10 to 11 and, finally, to grade 12. This means that,

when assessing or dealing with learners, the teachers must take into account the entire

background and not merely conclude that a particular learner is strong or weak. This, in turn,

implies that the learners must move with the knowledge gained in one phase to the next

phase and this involves moving with learner profiles, portfolios, and so on. Extended

learning opportunities and support for learners are also encouraged.

4.6.7 The principle of human rights, inclusivity, environmental and social justice

4.6.7.1 What are human rights, inclusivity and social justice?

The NCS for grades 10 to 12 (general) adopts an inclusive approach by specifying minimum

requirements for all learners. The Department is extremely strict with regard to the principle

of human rights, social justice and inclusivity and this is the reason why inclusion must be

provided for in every subject. This principle acknowledges that all learners should be able to

develop to their full potential provided they receive the necessary support (Department of

Education, 2001(b): 6). The intellectual, social, emotional, spiritual and physical needs of

learners will be addressed through the design and development of appropriate learning

programmes and through the use of appropriate assessment instruments.

In terms of this study, it is noted that this principle is taken very seriously in order to ensure

that the principles of the NCS do have an impact on the teaching and learning of the

learners. As stated in section 1.2 of chapter 1, in terms of the NCS all learners and teachers,

irrespective of race, religion or colour, must be accorded equal opportunities, not only at

school, but also in the workplace. This has particular relevance for learners with disabilities

or barriers to learning (NCS for Grades 10-12 – General and the Constitution of the Republic

of the Republic of South Africa (4(a) (i) and (ii) as well as (c) and (d)).

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4.6.7.2 Human rights, inclusivity, environmental and social justice in Life Orientation

In Life Orientation the principle of human rights, inclusivity, environmental and social justice

is the principle which deals with values. This principle is realised when Life Orientation

teachers start to address the issues of moral decline in our society.

Learners or people with disabilities must not be made to feel that they are not part of the

broader society. In terms of learners with barriers, the department employs inclusion officials

to support these learners (Department of Education 2001(b): 7). For instance, in respect of a

physical barrier such as learners who are deaf or mentally retarded, inclusion policies look at

the way in which they are provided for. A newly built school without ramps for wheelchairs

would not be approved. If the principles of the NCS are to have an impact it is essential that

schools address and provide for the physical barriers of learners.

In particular, the National Curriculum Guides for grades 10 to 12 (General) are sensitive to

issues of diversity such as poverty, inequality, race, gender, language, age, disability and

other factors. The department is firm in terms of this particular principle and this is the reason

why inclusion must be provided for in every subject.

4.6.8 The principle of valuing indigenous knowledge systems

4.6.8.1 What is ‘valuing indigenous knowledge systems’?

To value something refers to how much a specific thing is worth (Oxford Advanced Learner’s

Dictionary, 2008: 1631). In the South African context the term “Indigenous knowledge

systems” refers to the rich history, heritage and knowledge embedded in African

philosophical thinking and social practices that have evolved over many years.

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4.6.8.2 Valuing indigenous knowledge systems in Life Orientation

The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa promotes cultural diversity and an

appreciation of different cultures as well as multilingualism (Loots, 2006: 4). This principle of

valuing indigenous knowledge systems is based on the multi-intelligences theory, which

recognises that there are different ways of processing information and determining

intelligence. Intelligence is not determined only by means of mathematical and special

linguistic abilities.

There is a wide diversity of knowledge systems that people may use in order to attribute

meaning to the world.

In Life Orientation, the principle of valuing indigenous knowledge systems refers to learning

about other people’s cultures as they learn about yours (Republic of South Africa, 1996(a): 4

(a) subsections vii and viii and (h)). Indigenous knowledge also derives from cultural

diversity.

4.6.9 The principle of credibility, quality and efficiency 4.6.9.1 What are credibility, quality and efficiency?

The principle of credibility, quality and efficiency refers to the way in which schools plan,

organise and monitor curriculum implementation. It needs to be done in an effective and

efficient manner. In terms of the NCS the principle of credibility, quality and efficiency deals

with curriculum delivery issues while, at the same time, it creates a link between the

curriculum itself and the other principles of the NCS. If the planning, organising and

monitoring within a school are of a high standard, then the principles of the NCS will be

effective in that school. The NCS for Grades 10–12 aims at achieving credibility through the

pursuit of a transformational agenda and by providing an education that is comparable in

quality, breadth and depth to that of other countries.

.

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4.6.9.2 Credibility, quality and efficiency in Life Orientation

According to Spady (1994: 18), OBE involves high quality outcomes that culminate in the

demonstration of superior learning. This principle refers to quality and efficiency in terms of

the delivery of the Life Orientation curriculum, among others. In support of sections 3 and 4

of the Constitution of South Africa (Act No 27 of 1996), quality assurance is regulated by the

requirements of the South African Qualifications Authority Act (Act 58 of 1995), the

Education and Training Quality Assurance Regulations, and the General and Further

Education and Training Quality Assurance Act (Act 58 of 2001).

It is clear from the literature review and the principles of the NCS outlined in this chapter, that

the shift from the apartheid era curriculum to the new curriculum was not without its

problems. It is obvious that there are serious budgetary and training challenges confronting

the Department of Education in both resourcing and training teachers, as well as equipping

learners with the required skills, knowledge and values.

Nieman and Monyai (2006: 13) are in agreement with section 3 A–45 of the Department of

Education, 1997(g) A–46), and Department of Education (1997 (a): 19) that, if the principles

of the NCS are to have an impact in Life Orientation and other subjects, then education is a

societal issue. It is no longer possible for the teacher alone to ensure quality learning.

4.7 A BASIC LESSON PLAN

From the above-mentioned teaching methods and strategies and the principles of the NCS, a

basic constructivist lesson plan can be prepared by the teacher. According to the Minister of

Basic Education (Department of Education, 2010(a); Department of Education, 2010(b)

lesson plans are to be provided by the Department of Education. According to the Minister

of Basic Education, the common lesson plans from the department are intended to assist

teachers to pace their teaching and give them guidance when planning their assessment

tasks. The problem is that these lesson plans are not compulsory. Therefore, teachers who

have not been trained since the implementation of OBE in South Africa may teach without

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preparing or prepare lessons that will neither achieve the milestones nor attain the Learning

Outcomes.

If the milestones are not met, the learners will not be equipped with the skills, knowledge,

values and the qualifications required by them and the country as envisaged by the

Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and NEPA. Without meeting the milestones,

assessment standards and learning outcomes cannot be achieved. Education will also not

be transformed for the benefit of all learners (Department of Education, 1996).

In a constructivist teaching and learning environment, learning revolves around the learner,

as indicated in the diagram (Figure 4.1)

:

Figure 4.1 The shaping of the learner

Community

School: Teachers

Learners

Skills, knowledge, values & qualifications Teaching methods, strategies, theories & Resources Participation by parents, leaders, etc

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For teaching and learning activities in the classrooms to contribute towards making an

impact in the implementation of the principles of the NCS, teachers need to be well-trained

for implementing the changes in the curriculum. When the milestones that are set are

reached, this must lead to the holistic development of the leaner and not simply to the

completion of the term work by the teacher. Teachers who are not trained to use different

learning styles according to different learning theories cannot equip learners with the

required skills, knowledge, values and qualifications. The milestones must be reached to

change the lives of the learners. A school or classroom where the learning outcomes are not

achieved is not preparing the learners for the future. This problem is experienced from grade

1 to grade 12 in some schools (Department of Education, 2010(c): 7 – 21; Department of

Education 2010(d): 21).

4.8 CONCLUSION

This chapter focused on the subject Life Orientation in grade 10. The deductive and

inductive teaching approaches were explained. Teaching methods and strategies that may

be applied in the teaching of the subject Life orientation were also discussed. These were

followed by an explanation of the principles of the NCS and their implications for the subject

of Life Orientation. The principles discussed indicated that skilled teachers may facilitate a

teaching and learning environment that is conducive for learners to construct their own skills,

knowledge and values. The literature review also revealed that, for the principles of the NCS

to have a positive impact on the teaching and learning processes of the learner, teachers

need to be competent in mediating teaching and learning activities.

In the next chapter, the empirical research is described. To this end, the mixed-methods

research design and data collection methods are explained.

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CHAPTER FIVE

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

5.1 INTRODUCTION

In Chapter 2, a literature review on the transformation of the education system was

presented. In particular it focuses on outcomes-based education and curriculum 2005.

Chapter 3 explained two diverse perspectives that influenced the implementation of OBE in

South Africa, namely positivism and constructivism. Chapter four focused on Life Orientation

in Grade 10. Different teaching strategies used in Life Orientation, including discussion,

group-work, co-operative learning, problem solving, research and electronic learning are

explained as well as the principles of the NCS in Life Orientation.

This chapter describes the research design and the data collection procedures that were

followed in the investigation. It specifically focuses on data collection, data processing,

measures to ensure validity and reliability, and ethical measures.

5.2 RESEARCH QUESTIONS The problem under focus in this study pertains to the impact of the implementation of the

principles of the NCS in the teaching of grade 10 Life Orientation. The study investigates the

major factors that hinder the implementation of the NCS subject policies in relation to the

constructivist teaching and learning methods in Gauteng Province. To this end, specific

research questions were posed (see section 1.2). Some of the research questions posed in

Chapter 1 can best be answered by means of a quantitative approach. Other questions

warrant a qualitative approach. Thus, a mixed-methods approach was used (McMillan &

Schumacher, 2010: 67).

This research addresses the following specific questions (see section 1.2).

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• What is the impact of the amount of paperwork and administration that teachers have

with the implementation of the principles of the NCS?


learners?




• What is the impact of the implementation of the principles of the NCS on the attitude

of the learners?









In line with the above, recommendations for improvement may be made.

5.3 RESEARCH APPROACH: MIXED-METHODS

The aim of this study, as stated in chapter one, is to evaluate the impact of the

implementation of the principles of the NCS on grade 10 Life Orientation. Challenges that

hinder transformation and the implementation of the principles of the NCS are focussed on.

The mixed-methods approach ensures triangulation. Triangulation means using different

methods to collect data on the same issue in one study. According to Babbie and Mouton

(2001) triangulation is the best way of strengthening validity and reliability in a study. This

approach was used to ensure that the different methods complemented and strengthened

each other (Rooth, 2005: 145; McMillan & Schumacher, 2010: 379). This method of

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collecting data helps to ensure that the data collected actually indicates “what it appear to be

indicating” (Rooth, 2005: 145). The use of mixed-methods to collect data in this study

included instruments such as a questionnaire, interviews and observation to ensure that the

instruments, and subsequently, the findings were actually valid and reliable.

In a mixed-methods approach the researcher uses questionnaires in the quantitative phase,

while the qualitative phase incorporates interviews and observation to collect data. When

the quantitative approach is used, results are presented as numbers, such as using

percentages. When researchers use the quantitative method, results are analysed and

calculations are used in order to determine results in percentages. In the qualitative

approach the analysis of results takes place through interview transcripts, reading through

the responses one by one and identifying units or phrases of meaning and then clustering

them together in order to identify categories and sub-categories. In the qualitative approach

results are presented in narrative form (as words), such as the use of quotes and phrases.

5.4 RESEARCH DESIGNS AND METHODOLOGY

A research design is the researcher’s detailed plan of the way in which the research is to be

done. In other words, it is the plan and the structure of the investigation (McMillan &

Schumacher, 2006: 22). The plan indicates the different methods to collect data

(Denscombe, 2005: 30). It is a guide that the researcher follows in order to complete a task

successfully. It helps the researcher to describe the way in which the study was conducted.

Furthermore, a research design encompasses the entire process undertaken by the

researcher. The research design serves as the researcher’s summary of the way in which

the study on the impact of the principles of the NCS on Grade 10 Life Orientation was

conducted (Mouton, 1996: 107; Mouton, 2001: 194; McMillan & Schumacher, 1993: 33;

Creswell, 1998: 2). Thus, the context of this study is the implementation of the principles of

the NCS in grade 10 Life Orientation, in the Gauteng Province.

In the quantitative stage of the research, the researcher used a survey as design. In this

design, the researcher selected a sample, administered a questionnaire to collect data,

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analysed the data by using calculations to determine percentages and presented the results

in a numerical form using tables (see section 1.6) (Creswell, 2003: 36). Thus, a descriptive

survey design was used to describe the views and opinions of the respondents about the

impact of the implementation of the principles of the NCS in grade 10 Life Orientation.

The research design in the qualitative stage is phenomenological. It describes each

respondent’s fundamental experience of a particular phenomenon. This is done in order to

understand and gain insight into the respondent’s view about a phenomenon or event. At

this stage of the research design, observation and interviews were used as the respondents

gave their views and opinions about the implementation of the principles of the NCS in grade

10 Life Orientation (Creswell, 2003: 16; McMillan & Schumacher, 2010: 346).

The respondents were made aware that they would first have to respond in writing.

Thereafter they would be interviewed verbally in groups as well as individually. It was

decided not to administer the questionnaire and conduct the interview on the same day. The

researcher believed that more information would be provided by the respondents if there was

a second meeting. More detail about the data collection methods are provided next.

5.5 THE QUANTITATIVE APPROACH

5.5.1 The questionnaire

During the quantitative stage, structured questionnaires were used to collect data.

Questionnaires are research tools that require a selected group of people to respond to the

same questions in the same order. These questions are predetermined. Morgan and

Krueger (1998: 22) suggest that the researcher must be aware that the development of a

questionnaire is a process that involves brainstorming and draft questions. It is essential that

the researcher realises that well-formulated questions may elicit a wide range of quality

responses. However, too many questions must be avoided (see section 1.2). In this study, a

structured questionnaire was used to collect data from the grade 10 Life Orientation

teachers. (The questionnaire appears as appendix F.)

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The questionnaire helped the researcher to collect data for purposes of quantitative analysis.

It was developed from the information gathered from the literature review in chapters 2, 3

and 4 (see Appendix F for the questionnaire). From the literature review, 10 key questions

were formulated (see section 1.2) with the purpose of gathering data about the

implementation of the principles of the NCS (De Vos, Strydom, Fouche & Delport, 2005:

308).

The items in the questionnaire were divided into the following ten main sections:

• paperwork and administration by the teachers (item 1)

• transformation of education (item 2)

• training received by teachers (item 3)

• implementing the principles of the NCS (item 4)

• the attitude of the learners (item 5)

• observing the culture of others (item 6)

• moral decline, values and standards (item 7)

• addressing the rate of crime, learner pregnancy and disrespect (item 8)

• addressing barriers to learning (item 9) and

• equipping learners with the required skills (item 10).

The questions in the ten sections were drawn from the literature review in the following way:

• Section 1: The extent to which paperwork and administration work by teachers

impacts on the implementation of the principles of the NCS:

Items in section 1 of the questionnaire were generated from 1.1.1, 1.2, 2.4.1.3, 2.7,

2.11 and 5.2 of this study.

• Section 2: The extent to which the principles of the NCS in terms of Life Orientation

have helped to transform education for learners.

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Items in this section of the questionnaire were generated from 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.5.2,

1.5.5, 1.7, 2.3, 2.4.1.3, 2.5, 2.5.1, 2.6, 2.6.2.1, 2.6.2.3, 2.6.2.4, 2.7, 2.8, 2.8.1.4, 2.9.4,

2.10, 2.11, 2.11.1, 2.12, 2.13.4 and 2.15.

• Section 3: The extent to which training received by the teachers made the required

impact.

Items in this section of the questionnaire were generated from .1.1.2, 1.2, 1.5.5, 2.5.3,

2.5.6, 2.5.9, 2.6.2.4, 2.7, 2.10, 2.11, 2.12, 2.13.1, 2.13.2, 2.13.8, 3.2, 3.2.3.1, 3.7.2,

4.5.2.2, 4.5.3.1, 4.5.6.1, and 4.5.9.2

• Section 4: The extent to which the principles of the NCS are implemented.

Items in this section of the questionnaire were generated from 1.1.2, 1.4, 1.6.2, 2.3,

2.6, 2.6.1, 2.6.2, 2.9.1, 2.9.1.2, 2.11, 2.11.1, 2.12.2, 2.16, 3.1, 3.2.3,1, 3.4.3, 3.7.3.8,

4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5.9.1, 5.1. 5.2, 5.3 and 5.4. .

• Section 5: The impact of the principles of the NCS in terms of the attitude of others.

Items in this section of the questionnaire were generated from .the principles of the

NCS as explained in chapter 4.

• Section 6: The extent to which learners observe the culture of others

Items in this section of the questionnaire were generated from chapter 1, 2, 3 and .the

principles of the NCS as explained in chapter 4.

• Section 7: The extent to which the principles of the NCS have had an impact on

moral decline, values and standards.

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Items in this section of the questionnaire were generated from chapter 1, 2, 3 and .the


• Section 8: The extent to which the principles of the NCS address the rate of crime,

learner pregnancy and disrespect at schools.

Items in this section of the questionnaire were generated from .chapter 1, 2, 3 and the


• Section 9: the impact of the NCS in addressing barriers to learning.

Items in this section of the questionnaire were generated from chapter 1, 2, 3 and the


• Section 10: The impact of the NCS in equipping learners with the required skills.

Items in this section of the questionnaire were generated from chapter 1, 2, 3 and the


For practical reasons, the respondents were grouped into different groups when the

questionnaire was implemented. All 48 teachers answered the questionnaire. The teachers

in the groups responded to questions about the impact of the implementation of the

principles of the NCS for grade 10 Life Orientation. As the Life Orientation teachers

responded to the questionnaires, the researcher had to explain some of the questions to the

respondents, where clarity was needed.

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5.5.2 Pilot study Research instruments need to be piloted before administering them in the main study

(McMillan and Schumacher, 2006). The purpose of piloting the questionnaire was to:

• detect possible problems with the wording of the questions

• correct the terminology according to latest curriculum changes, such as changing the

word ‘educator’ and replacing it with the word ‘teacher’, in line with the Ministry of

Basic Education.

• ensure the calculation of numbers and percentages were correct. The table

displaying percentages was therefore changed.

In this study questionnaires were piloted with three Life Orientation subject Advisors, who are

experts in the subject. The pilot, therefore, provided a trial run for the study and enhanced

the content validity and face validity of the questionnaire.

After piloting, the groups of respondents were changed from group A, B, C and D on the

questionnaire to only A and B. Therefore, before the questionnaire was conducted with the

grade 10 Life Orientation teachers, it was successfully tested with experienced Life

Orientation subject advisors in the district office of the Education Department.

5.6 THE QUALITATIVE APPROACH

5.6.1 Focus group interviews Interviewing is an ideal way of showing interest in and listening to other people’s stories. A

questionnaire is a guide to structure an interview. According to McMillan and Schumacher

(2010: 355) interview guides are conversational and the researcher decides on the sequence

and the wording of the questions beforehand. The researcher decided about the wording

and the questions to be responded to in advance, and in this way the interview guide served

as a lead for the researcher in this study (the interview guide appears as appendix I). The

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interview guide had similar questions to the questionnaire. The questions that were

responded to in writing at the quantitative stage were responded to verbally. This gave the

interviewees the opportunity to expand on and explain their views. The interviewer could

also probe their answers to obtain depth. The interview guide had a date, a group, a time

and venue for each group that was to be interviewed.

The above-mentioned interview guide was used to engage with four groups of about eight

teachers each. Morgan (1997: 42) and Morgan and Krueger (1998: 71) recommend that a

focus group should consist of between four and six respondents. However, this guideline is

not rigid as long as the number of respondents is not too large to create confusion and inhibit

those members who may not be outspoken. (Six respondents could not attend the focus

group interview sessions and were later interviewed, as will be explained.)

Interviews were conducted in groups because focus groups have the strength that they

create a synergy within the group that leads to rich data (Morgan, 1997: 6, Barbour &

Kitzinger, 1999: 4; Straka, Nespeca, Howell & Irwin, 2009:2 ). The focus group interviews

were used in order to gain an understanding of the collective feelings and impressions of the

teachers about the impact of the principles of the NCS. The stories shared and the

statements made by the respondents during the interview sessions were recorded verbatim

in order to capture the true essence of the respondents’ opinions (Seidman, 1998: 1,

Lebeloane, 2004: 50). Notes were also made by the interviewer/researcher (see Appendix

L). Sheppard (1995: 270), Schurink & Schurink (1998: 279) and Silverman (2000: 140)

suggest that the researcher should be actively involved and record both what he hears and

what he sees.

The four focus groups were conducted on four different dates in July 2009 (see Appendix I

for interview guide). Detail about the focus groups is as follows:

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• Focus Group 1

Focus group 1 was the first to be interviewed. This focus group consisted of teachers from

different areas (see Appendix H on focus groups). The group included some creative and

experienced teachers who helped to clarify issues that were raised, including the need to

ensure that the shift from the apartheid curriculum mentioned in chapter 1 actually takes

place. The interview session for Focus Group 1 lasted for fifty-five minutes. Field notes of

interaction, hand signals and facial expressions were noted by the researcher as part of the

field notes (see Appendix L).

• Focus Group 2

Focus group 2 was the second to be interviewed. Unlike the Focus Group 1 interview

session this session lasted for one hour and twenty minutes. This was as a result of the

active participation of the members in providing valuable information, as stated above, in

response to the questionnaire and in their verbal responses. This focus group included

several experienced teachers who had participated in assisting the district office to train

other Life Orientation teachers. Although focus group 1 was very creative and active in

providing information as they responded to the questions, focus group 2 was more

experienced and knowledgeable about the processes of change in education, from the first

OBE approach to the current strengthening of the NCS.

• Focus Group 3

Focus Group 3 was the third group to be interviewed. This interview session took place in the

Randfontein offices of the Department of Education. The session lasted for fifty minutes and

the researcher gained valuable information through the verbal responses that included clarity

on the way in which the NCS was being strengthened by the Department of Education.

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• Focus Group 4

Focus group 4 was the last to be interviewed This session took place in Westonaria. The

session lasted for about an hour. Written and verbal valuable information was gathered.

Follow-up questions on the constructivist ideals of the NCS and norms and standards for

education were clarified by both members of the focus group and the researcher.

The verbal data from the interview transcripts were carefully examined in order to discover

the impact of the implementation of the principles of the NCS on the grade 10 school subject

Life Orientation in Gauteng. Thus, this qualitative method helped the researcher to resolve

any difficult and important matters that were raised when the questionnaire was used

quantitatively. In other words, by means of the qualitative interviews, the quantitative data

that was collected through the questionnaire could be explained. This enabled the

researcher to better evaluate the impact of the implementation of the principles of the NCS

on Grade 10 Life Orientation.

The above-mentioned interview guide was administered over a period of four weeks. During

the four weeks, one day was used to conduct the questionnaire and interviews and observe

teachers in an interview session. The rest of the days per week were spent preparing for the

following interview session.

5.6.2 Unstructured interviews

In addition to the above, unstructured and less formal interaction also took place.

Unstructured interviews were conducted with individual teachers or with groups of teachers

as was possible. (As mentioned, the total number of respondents was 48.) Unstructured

interviews allowed the researcher the opportunity to obtain in-depth information (De Vos et

al., 2005: 292). The respondents provided valuable information about the implementation of

the principles of the NCS in their schools. They also shared information about the level of

support provided by the school management teams and principals.

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In addition to the quantitative data collected through the questionnaire and the qualitative

data obtained through the focus groups, the respondents provided additional qualitative data

informally. For example, they indicated that there was very little parental involvement in the

implementation of the principles of the NCS. This additional information was both recorded

and written down by the researcher in the form of field notes (Field & Morse, 1994: 79;

Bloodworth et al., 2001: 4).

5.6.3 Follow-up interviews

In this study about six respondents could not attend the focus group interview sessions.

However, the researcher could interview them telephonically after completion of the interview

sessions. Data that were not clear in the field notes and the tape recorded interviews could

also be followed up and respondents could clarify their views (McMillan & Schumacher,

2010: 205; Seidman, 1998: 1). In this way, the researcher managed to interview 48 Life

Orientation teachers from 48 schools and reach a clear understanding of their views.

Follow-up interviews were also held with individual teachers after the focus groups interviews

had been conducted. The follow-up interviews were conducted to triangulate and

crosscheck the data that was collected (see sections 1.6 & 5.4.1.2). These came as a result

of comments made by the teachers or observations by the researcher. Information gathered

during the follow-up interviews was very helpful to the researcher and helped him to gather

rich field-notes during this personal contact with the respondents.

As the above shows there were group responses and additional individual responses that

became part of the data collected in this study. This delivered many pages of raw data.

5.6.4 Observation According to Denzin and Lincoln (1998), observation is a well know research method for

collecting data. The observation method of data collection involves observing a person in

his/her workplace by incorporating questions about the topic under investigation. Thus,

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observation is used in order to capture critical aspects of what is occurring in a situation

(Krathwohl, 1998: 249).

In this study the observation method of data collection was used to assess the extent to

which the principles of the NCS for grade 10 Life Orientation were implemented. Although

teachers were not observed in the classroom, the researcher tried to understand and

observe how the teachers were dealing with the implementation of the principles of the NCS

at their schools. To this end, the researcher sat among the respondents and with an

observation sheet made notes about comments at the interview sessions (McMillan &

Schumacher, 2010: 208).

Field notes form part of the observation method of data collection (see section 5.8.5 for field

notes). The use of field notes includes writing about reflections and behavior of respondents

during the interviews. Field notes help to close gaps that may occur during the qualitative

and quantitative data collection. (See Appendix L.)

In this research, in some cases, the field-notes were later added to the structured responses

of the teachers and in other instances the information helped the researcher to remember

the context in which responses were given. Many observations made and large quantities of

information gathered by the researcher were written down as notes. The field notes were

often referred to when the data was later analysed qualitatively and quantitatively. In some

cases, written responses were not so clear but the availability of the field notes helped the

researcher to remember and to explore the data collection process better. The field notes

contained information that was not necessarily directly related to the questions. The

researcher used the field notes to enrich the data analysed and to remember the context in

which responses were given. The field notes also minimised any loss of information (Field &

Morse, 1994: 79).

The use of the abovementioned methods of the qualitative approach helped the researcher

to carefully organise the information which he had gained from the respondents in order to

evaluate the impact of the principles of the NCS on grade 10 Life Orientation in the province

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of Gauteng. Both the qualitative and quantitative approach allowed the researcher to pay

attention to detailed information about the implementation of the NCS in Grade 10 in

Gauteng (McMillan & Schumacher, 2006: 22, 26–27).

5.6.5 The role of the researcher

In a qualitative approach the researcher must be fully involved in the research conducted.

Thus, the researcher endeavoured to place himself ‘in the shoes’ of the teachers. Toddun

(2000: 110) also confirms that the role of the researcher is investigative and developmental

rather than that of intervention. In this study, both the researcher and the respondents

developed in the process of investigating the impact of the principles of the NCS on grade 10

Life Orientation from the point of view of the teachers themselves. Reflection stimulated by

questions, facilitated this development.

5.7 SAMPLING

According to McMillan and Schumacher (2010: 141), in both quantitative and qualitative

studies convenience sampling may be used when the respondents are selected because

they are accessible and expedient. Thus, in this study, convenience sampling was used as a

technique to select grade 10 Life Orientation teachers because of accessibility and

expedience.

For this research the researcher selected the 48 teachers from 48 secondary schools who

attended the first district meeting of the grade 10 Life Orientation teachers (See Appendix D,

E and J). The respondents provided valuable information both quantitatively in writing and

qualitatively in the informal comments they made (Creswell, 2003: 185; Neuman, 2003: 382).

The researcher focused on the Life Orientation teachers only because it had emerged from

the literature review that, while principals and school management teams manage the

curriculum, it is the teachers who implement the curriculum (Pretorius, 1998(b): 105;

Ramatsui, 2006: 27). In addition, these were teachers that were viewed by their schools as

the best teachers for this meeting. The impact of the principles of the NCS on grade 10 Life

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Orientation depends mainly on how successfully the teachers can implement the curriculum.

They were thus seen as information-rich respondents to provide answers on the research

questions of this study which focus on the implementation of the principles of the NCS in

grade 10.

As mentioned in sections 1.6 and 5.3 of this study, the respondents reacted both

quantitatively and quantitatively to the questionnaire. Both the quantitative and qualitative

responses to the questionnaire focused on key areas, namely, teacher development, learner

participation, learner support and the implementation of the NCS. The information collected

from the respondents was then used to make limited generalisations about the

implementation of the principles of the NCS in grade 10 Life Orientation. It should be noted

that generalisations are made with care because the sample is not representative of a

certain population.

5.8 DATA ANALYSIS

As explained above, data were gathered by means of questionnaires, focus groups,

individual interviews and observation. These methods delivered many pages of raw data for

analysis. Sarantakos (2000: 210) mentions that possible problems in the data analysis

process may be eliminated by an appropriate and well-managed structure. When analysing

data it is essential that the researcher keeps the aim and objective of the study in mind

(Creswell, 1998: 139; Krueger & Casey, 2000: 127) and separate things into their own

component parts.

Research analysis can emphasise either qualitative or quantitative descriptions or both,

hence the use of the mixed-method approach in this study. The two approaches may also be

used together to analyse information (Birley & Moreland, 1998: 53; McMillan & Schumacher,

1993: 433).

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The quantitative data obtained from the Life Orientation teachers by means of

questionnaires, were analysed using frequencies and percentages. No hypotheses were

tested because this was not the aim of the study.

The data obtained through the interviews and observation in the interview sessions was

analysed qualitatively McMillan and Schumacher (2010: 337) argue that a researcher

cannot simply claim that data were analysed but must actually account for how data were

synthesized and identify the strategies followed to analyse the data. To this end, the

following method was used to analyse qualitative data:

• Segmenting. According to McMillan and Schumacher (2010: 370), segmenting is dividing data into ideas,

episodes or pieces of relevant information. A segment can be a word, sentence, a

paragraph or some pages. The researcher listens to all the audio-taped responses one by

one and analyses them. Ideas, episodes or pieces of relevant information are clustered

together in order to identify categories and sub-categories. The researcher listens,

transcribes by taking notes and other information and converting the data into a format that is

meaningful. The researcher then indicates where the ideas, episodes or pieces of relevant

information end.

• Coding and categorising the data

A code is a name or a label that is given to a word, sentence, episode or piece of information

in order to give meaning to what has been segmented into units. According to McMillan and

Schumacher (2001: 467), coding is a process of dividing data into parts, a process of

categorising and analysis. The researcher looks for the appearance of particular ideas or

data (Denscombe, 2005: 271). In this study the data was analysed to find out if there were

words, phrases or statements that related to themes in the literature study.

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• Compiling a master list

According to McMillan and Schumacher (2010: 372) a master list is a list of all the codes.

This list is compiled so that there is one column for each dataset. As the researcher

continues to make transcripts, the codes on the master list increase and some of them also

gain sub-components. The more data is collected, the more the initial system gets refined

and more codes are added.

• Checking for intercoder reliability

This is the extent to which two or more people agree on what they heard, seen or rated. If

those involved in checking reliability agree, then there is consistency in what is measured

(McMillan & Schumacher, 2010: 182). In this research the promoter checked the coding.

5.9 MEASURES TO ENSURE VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY

5.9.1 Validity of the questionnaire

According to McMillan and Schumacher (2010: 175) validity is the degree to which evidence

and theory support the interpretation of test scores. The researcher ensured the validity of

the questionnaire used in this research by establishing both the content and face validity of

the instrument. In the study, this was done as follows:

• Content validity

According to McMillan and Schumacher (2010: 175) content validity is the extent to which a

sample of questions in an instrument, such as in a questionnaire, is representative of the

targeted task or domain. The content of the instrument is examined in order to indicate the

degree to which the instrument measures criteria or objectives.

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In this study validity refers to whether the instruments actually provide the information

required in order to evaluate the impact of the principles of the NCS on grade 10 Life

Orientation. While validity refers to an instrument, information is provided by relevant

respondents or people. In this study relevant information was presented by the grade 10 Life

Orientation teachers. The information provided by the teachers at the first district meeting of

a group of Life Orientation teachers was used and it helped to ensure that the questions

posed in the questionnaire were relevant in terms of this study (see Appendix F for

questionnaire). During the pilot study the researcher also ensured that the items in the

questionnaire covered all the content needed to answer the research questions listed in

chapter 1.

• Face validity

Face validity means looking carefully at the instrument and judging if the items in the

questionnaire test what it is supposed to test – from the face of it. For this study, a pilot study

was also conducted to enable participants to indicate if the items were relevant and tested

what they were supposed to test.

5.9.2 Reliability of the questionnaire

According to Bergh and Theron (2003: 37), reliability is expressed as a correlation coefficient

(r) to demonstrate the level of effectiveness and whether results can be similar if the study

could be replicated under a similar methodology. Bergh and Theron (2003: 37) as well as

McMillan and Schumacher (2010: 182) agree that the alpha reliability coefficient must be

between 0.3 and 0.7 if an instrument is to be accepted as reliable. In this study the reliability

coefficient was calculated as mentioned below (see Appendix K for the reliability

coefficients):

Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was used to check the reliability of the questionnaire and its

items (McMillan & Schumacher, 2010: 182). The calculated reliabilities of the different

sections of the questionnaire were as follows:

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• The amount of paperwork and administration work (teachers are hindered from doing

their work) is 0.58

• Help to transform education for learners is 0.58

• The training received by the teacher is 0.40

• The implementation of the principles of the NCS is 0.43

• Impact made on the attitude of learners is 0.87

• Observing the culture of others is 0.43

• Impact on moral decline, values and standards is 0.67

• Addressing the rate of crime, learner pregnancy and disrespect at schools is 0.72

Thus, the average reliability coefficient for the questionnaire is 0.47 which is acceptable for

this kind of questionnaire as indicated by some authors (McMillan & Schumacher, 2010:

182). The questionnaire can therefore be seen as trustworthy to investigate the

phenomenon of the implementation of the principles of the NCS in Life Orientation in Grade

10.

5.9.3 Validity and reliability of the qualitative phase (trustworthiness)

In qualitative research validity refers to “the degree of congruence between the explanations

of the phenomenon and the realities of the world” (McMillan & Schumacher, 2010:330). A list

of tactics proposed by McMillan and Schumacher (2010:330-332) and employed in this study

to ensure trustworthiness of data included:

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• using a tape recorder and making verbatim transcriptions of each focus group interview;

• conducting follow-up interviews and thus obtaining feedback from participants when

unsure about the meaning of statements;

• circulating findings to participants to confirm that their views were correctly reflected;

• making sampling decisions carefully; and

• having the promoter check the analysis of data to ensure that he or she agrees with

interpretations made and meanings given to raw data.

5.10 ETHICAL MEASURES According to McMillan and Schumacher (2010: 15), ethics is about protecting the rights and

the welfare of the subjects who participate in a study. Accordingly, Mitchell and Jolley

(2001:28) point out that researchers should make an informed decision “about whether the

participant’s rights had been protected and whether the ... investigator had lived up to his

responsibilities”..

5.10.1 Informed consent Informed consent relates to the understanding of the respondents when they take part in a

study. While it is important for the respondents to stay in the research project for the

duration of the study, respondents need to know that they can withdraw without being

penalised, anytime they no longer have interest in being part of the study. Sometimes more

than one group of respondents need to give their consent in writing, such as parents signing

for their children to take part in a research project. In this study, there was no need for any

such written consent of a second party because all the respondents were adults and could

give their own consent (McMillan & Schumacher, 2010: 118). They were fully informed about

the aims of the study and that participation was voluntary.

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5.10.2 Full disclosure or deception

Full disclosure means that the researcher must be open and honest with those participating

in a study. Withholding information from participants means deception. In this study the

respondents were well-informed about the purpose of the study. There was, therefore, no

deception of respondents in this study (McMillan & Schumacher, 2010: 117).

5.10.3 Privacy The privacy of the respondents was not violated. All the data that were obtained during the

research (such as the comments, behaviour and sharing of information), were reported

anonymously and treated as confidential (McMillan & Schumacher, 2010: 121).

5.10.4 Actions and competence of researcher In conducting this research, the researcher demonstrated competence by being sensitive

and respectful to the rights and welfare of the respondents throughout (McMillan &

Schumacher, 2010: 125). He also made sure that he had the necessary competence to

conduct the research.

5.10.5 Cooperation and collaboration

There was cooperation and collaboration with an outside party in this study because the

Department of Education provided the researcher with a bursary. However, the Department

of Education had no influence on the findings of this research.

5.10.6 Permission to conduct research All protocol was followed in conducting this research. Letters requesting for permission to

involve grade 10 teachers in this research were sent both to the Head Office of the

Department of Education, District Office and the schools (See Appendices A, B and C).

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5.11 SUMMARY This chapter explained the mixed-methods approach and the research designs that were

used in this study. These included a survey design for the quantitative phase and a

phenomenology design for the qualitative phase. Within these designs data were collected

by means of questionnaires (in the quantitative phase), and interviews and observation (in

the qualitative phase). Validity and reliability as well as research ethics were also addressed.

The research designs and data collection aimed at answering the questions that focussed on

the impact of the implementation of the principles of the NCS in grade 10 Life Orientation.

The presentation and discussion of the research results are the focus of the next chapter.

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CHAPTER SIX RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 6.1 INTRODUCTION

In chapter 5 the research design and methodology were explained. A mixed-methods

approach was used because some of the research questions posed in Chapter 1 could best

be answered by means of a quantitative approach, while others needed a qualitative

approach to add information and depth to the study.

This chapter discusses the presentation and interpretation of data. The results of data

collected through questionnaires, interviews and observations are presented.

6.2 RESULTS

6.2.1 Questionnaire results

The data collected from the respondents in the quantitative approach by means of

questionnaires, are presented in table 6.1. The table illustrates the respondents’ views on all

the main research questions. Thus, the following was determined:

• the impact of the amount of paperwork and administration that teachers have with the

implementation of the principles of the NCS

• the extent to which the principles of the NCS have helped to transform education for

learners

• the impact the training received by teachers made with regard to the implementation

of the principles of the NCS

• the extent to which the principles of the NCS were being implemented at schools

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• the impact of the implementation of the principles of the NCS on the attitude of the

learners

• the impact of the implementation of the principles of the NCS in terms of observing the

culture of others

• the impact of the implementation of the principles of the NCS on morals, values and

standards, including crime, learner pregnancy and disrespect.

• the impact of the implementation of the principles of the NCS in terms of addressing

barriers to learning

• the impact of the implementation of the principles of the NCS in terms of equipping

learners with the required life skills

The results are presented as frequencies and percentages.

Table 6.1 Frequency and percentages of respondent’s views on the questionnaire

items

Questions Yes

(f)

Yes

(%)

No

(f)

No

(%)

1. Does the amount of paperwork and

administration work have a positive impact on

the implementation of the principles of the

NCS?

12 25

36 75

2. Have the principles of the NCS in terms of Life

Orientation help to transform education for

learners?

12 25

36 75

3. Has the training received by teachers made the

required positive impact in the implementation

of the principles of the NCS?

6 13

42 87

4. Are the principles of the NCS being

implemented at schools?

7 15 41 85

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5. Has the implementation of the principles of the

NCS made an impact on the attitude of

learners?

24 50 24 50


NCS made an impact in terms of observing the

culture of others?

7 15 41 85

7. Have the principles of the NCS had an impact

on moral decline, values and standards?

15 31 33 69


NCS had an impact in addressing the rate of

crime, learner pregnancy and disrespect at

schools?

17 35 31 65


NCS had an impact in addressing barriers to

learning?

26 54 22 46


NCS had an impact in equipping learners with

the required life skills?

21 44 27 56

In the next section, each of the above mentioned questions will be presented one after the

other in relation to the main research questions. This will be followed by a discussion of the

results.

6.3 THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PRINCIPLES OF THE NCS

6.3.1 Research question one

What is the impact of the amount of paperwork and administration that teachers have with

the implementation of the principles of the NCS?

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According to Table 6.1, 75 percent (36) of the respondents stated that the introduction of the

NCS had resulted in too great a volume of paperwork and administration. The other 25

percent (12) seemed to be resigned to the amount of paperwork and administration required

in order to implement the principles of the NCS.

The above quantitative results were confirmed by those teachers, who said,

There are so many recording sheets and forms that we spend most of the time meant

for teaching the learners, filling in forms and records. But, the time allocated on the

time-table does not take the time wasted on the filling of forms, into account.

Some teachers indicated that they could hardly record what they were doing with regard to

every learner, while teaching at the same time. However, the amount spent on doing

administration work both in the classroom and after teaching seemed to disrupt the

continuous flow between teaching and assessment activities. Instead of focussing on

teaching, assessing and doing remedial work, too much time was taken by administration of

what happened.

6.3.2 Research question two

To what extent have the principles of the NCS helped to transform education for learners?

Table 6.1 illustrates that 75 percent of the respondents indicated that the principles of the

NCS in Life Orientation had not helped to transform education from the apartheid era system

of education to the present democratic system of education; only 25 percent of the

respondents indicated that the principles of the NCS had helped to transform education for

learners.

Although not all schools were implementing the principles of the NCS in Life Orientation,

those schools which were, indeed, implementing these principles were benefiting from their

compliance with education policies. The fact that the principles of the NCS were not being

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successfully implemented at 75% of the schools shows that there are serious policy and

implementation problems in respect of the implementation of the NCS and the teaching of

Life Orientation.

The interview data confirms the above mentioned result. For example, there were teachers

who expressed the view that the principles of the NCS were not realistic. One teacher said:

The principles of the NCS in Life Orientation are good in theory; bad in practice; they

lack credibility.

Other teachers pointed out that there was no parental involvement in the process of teaching

the learners. That may be one of the reasons why the principles of the NCS did not help to

transform education for the learners. For instance, one teacher made the following comment

with which others teachers agreed:

There is no parental or community involvement. The Department of Education must

enforce parental involvement and create an environment that will be conducive for

parents to be actively involved in educating their children about the principles of the

NCS in Life Orientation, and not only in the election of school governing bodies, as it

is the case at present.

Field notes also indicated that too many tasks were given to learners and parents who were

illiterate and could not assist their children. Literate parents did the tasks for their children.

6.3.3 Research question three

What impact did the training received by teachers make with regard to the implementation of

the principles of the NCS?

Table 6.1 shows that 87 percent of the respondents were of the opinion that teachers were

poorly trained and still struggling to implement the principles of the NCS 12 years after the

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implementation of the first OBE approach in South Africa. Only six percent of the

respondents thought that teachers were professionally qualified to teach Life Orientation and

implement the principles of the NCS.

During the interviews the teachers indicated that there was not enough training or that the

training is inadequate. For example:

They are helpful but there must be more meetings and workshops about them.

Teachers have a positive attitude towards their work and development but afternoon

and one-day training workshops for Life Orientation are a fruitless exercise”

[Randfontein Staffroom, 4 July 2009]

The majority of teachers seemed discouraged by the lack of training. For example, one

stated:

Life Orientation teachers are not properly trained. Anyone is given LO as an additional

subject. Training and developing teachers is important so that they do not fall behind

in the teaching and understanding of LO and the principles of the NCS.

Teachers also claimed that any teacher is given Life Orientation as an additional subject to

teach. Many of these teachers are not trained.

The above is confirmed by field notes that were made of comments. Participants stated that

teachers had not been well trained in the new approach to teaching and learning. The

afternoon workshops that were conducted by district offices were not sufficient to equip

teachers to change their teaching and assessment methods. Principals and their school

management teams were not skilled to manage OBE. Van Deventer (2009: 127) also found

that principals did not assist in creating a conducive environment for the teaching of the

subject Life Orientation.

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6.3.4 Research question four

To what extent are the principles of the NCS being implemented at schools?

According to Table 6.1, 85 percent (41) of the teachers stated that the principles of the Life

Orientation NCS were not being implemented in any way in their schools while the other 15%

(7) maintained that the principles of the NCS were, indeed, being implemented in their

schools.

If only such a small percentage of respondents could state with confidence that the principles

of the NCS in Life Orientation were being implemented at their schools, this gives the

impression that there is general non-compliance with regard to the implementation of

curriculum policies. This is despite the fact that the Department of Education maintains that

schools are implementing the principles of the NCS. It seems that schools are teaching a

different curriculum.

If only a small percentage of schools are implementing the principles of the NCS the

researcher is able to conclude that from the first OBE approach to the latest version of the

curriculum, the curriculum still remains foreign and strange because the first OBE approach

came from America to South Africa. This curriculum is, therefore, misunderstood in South

Africa. While the Department of Education does have excellent policies in place, what

schools themselves are implementing does not appear to be equipping learners with the

required skills, knowledge, values and qualifications they need.

According to the interviews, the principles of the NCS were also not being implemented

because teachers had a problem with the distribution of policies to schools. For example:

Policies have been sent to schools but teachers don’t have them. It shows that

principals and school management teams do not always circulate the Life Orientation

policies and departmental circulars which are intended for the teachers.

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The above is confirmed by field notes that were made. These all point to the fact that OBE

was difficult to understand for both teachers and learners.

6.3.5 Research question five

What is the impact of the implementation of the principles of the NCS on the attitude of the

learners?

According to Table 6.1, 50 percent of the respondents indicated that the implementation of

the principles of the NCS made an impact on learner attitudes. The other halve of the

respondents had different views.

During the interviews some respondents maintained that their principals and school

management teams were making interventions in an attempt both to encourage and to

motivate the staff and to improve the attitude of the learners towards the implementation of

the principles of the NCS in Life Orientation. However, some principals were negative.

Some teachers felt that it was the learners who were at fault. For example:

Learners are lazy and cannot even communicate their ideas properly in discussions.

Learners need more motivation programmes and facilities such as libraries and

computer centres that would encourage them to prioritise their education and skills. If

the learners are not able to communicate, it means that the principles of the NCS Life

Orientation have not helped to equip learners with reading, writing, language and

communication skills.

6.3.6 Research question six

What is the impact of the implementation of the principles of the NCS in terms of observing

the culture of others?

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Table 6.1 shows that 85 percent (41) of the respondents had the viewpoint that that the

implementation of the principles of the NCs did not facilitate respect for other cultures. Thus,

these programmes seemed to have failed to promote appreciation, acceptance and respect

of other people’s cultures, race and beliefs. Only 7 teachers thought differently. The majority

of the teachers interviewed was in agreement with the following statement by one of them:

Many children do not even know their own cultures. It becomes very difficult for them

to respect and observe other people’s cultures. In the urban areas people of different

cultures live together in town and the townships. The cultures are therefore too many

to observe. But, the schools observe the Cultural Day every year.

In general, learners do not understand what it means to respect the culture of others. If there

is no respect and appreciation for other people and their cultures this would imply that the

constitution of the country is being violated. It would seem as if schools are not promoting the

teaching of the principles of the NCS in Life Orientation. This indicates that the principles of

the NCS in terms of Life Orientation were not having the desired effect.

6.3.7 Research question seven

What is the impact of the implementation of the principles of the NCS on morals, values and


According to Table 6.1, 69 percent of the respondents were of the opinion that the principles

of the NCS did not have an impact on morals, values and standards. Moreover, 65 percent

indicated their belief that it did not impact on crime rate, leaner pregnancy or disrespect at

school. This confirms that the principles of the NCS in terms of Life Orientation were not

having the effect that was envisaged.

The issues of moral decline, values and standards in schools and in society are a priority

and, as such, are extremely important to both the country and the government. If a high

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percentage of teachers are of the opinion that the issues of moral decline, values and

standards are not being addressed at schools, then the researcher may conclude that,

although these issues need to be addressed, it is clearly not possible to address them

through the principles of the NCS in Life Orientation. It is 12 years after the implementation

of the first outcomes-based education approach and the NCS, moral decline, values and

standards seem to have deteriorated even further. Regarding this issues, one teacher stated:

The issue of morals, values and standards both at the homes and the schools is a

huge problem. In most cases children lack role models and parents who have good

parental skills. When the children are taught about morals, values and standards at

schools, some of them hear about these things for the first time at school. Even at

schools and society morals, values and standards seem to be very low. It is also very

difficult to really measure things like morals, values and standards because people do

not always agree on criteria to measure such complicated issues.

This result suggests that the principles of the NCS in Life Orientation have failed to address

issues related to the behaviour of learners. If schools are experiencing high rates of crime,

learner pregnancy and disrespect on the part of the learners, then these schools have not

been transformed for the better. The principles of the NCS in Life Orientation and the

education system, in general, do not appear to be equipping learners with the required skills,

knowledge and values as required by both the education policies and the constitution of

South Africa.

6.3.8 Research question eight

What is the impact of the implementation of the principles of the NCS in terms of addressing

barriers to learning?

Table 6.1 illustrates that the NCS was more successful with regards to this issues and many

of the others: 54% of the respondents said that the NCS ahs indeed helped to address

barriers to learning, although 46 % differed. It may be that in some schools this principle is

better implemented.

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The interviews confirmed the above quantitative results.

6.3.9 Research question nine

What is the impact of the implementation of the principles of the NCS in terms of equipping

learners with the required life skills?

According to Table 6.1 a little more than half of the respondents (56%) did not agree that the

NCS supported learners to acquire life skills. 44% differed and were more positive. Once

again it could be that some teachers were more effective than others to implement this

principle.

According to the interviews, some teachers confirmed that the principles of the NCS had not

yet equipped learners with the required skills. One teacher declared:

The implementation of the principles of the NCS is not focussed on at schools. When

teachers teach in the other subjects, they do not even think about the principles of the

NCS. Teachers teaching languages and the content subjects focus on their content

subjects and leave everything about life skills to the Life Orientation teacher. If all

teachers in a school can focus on both their subjects and the teaching of the principles of

the NCS in their subjects, learners can know about the principles of the NCS.

It seemed that the principles of the NCS had not made the required impact because all

matters regarding equipping learners with life skills did not have the ideal impact on morals

and values. These matters were left to the Life Orientation teachers only.

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6.4 DISCUSSION OF RESULTS The purpose of this study, as stated in chapter one, is to evaluate the impact of the principles

of the NCS on grade 10 Life Orientation, in the Gauteng West district. The Gauteng West

area was suitable for purposes of the study because the researcher works in the area. In

this section the results of the study that were presented in the previous section, are

discussed and compared to the literature review.

6.4.1 The impact of the amount of paperwork and administration that teachers have with the implementation of the principles of the NCS

Teachers indicated that too much paperwork impacted negatively on the implementation of

the NCS. The problem with the curriculum coverage by teachers and learners in the

classroom is that too much time had to be spent on recording and reporting on assessment

and teaching activities. The content that was supposed to be taught was simply replaced by

learner participation and the completion of the required paperwork and administration to be

done by teachers. The weakness of C2005 and the first OBE approach in terms of lack of

content and curriculum coverage may well have affected the impact of the introduction of the

principles of the NCS into formal education, as also found by previous authors (Looney &

Klenowski, 2008: 177). In an attempt to address the problems of OBE, as shown in chapter

3 of this study, the Ministerial Committee of the Minister of Basic Education established to

review the implementation of the NCS made recommendations that the NCS needed to be

streamlined and strengthened. As indicated in 2.4.4, contrary to the first OBE approach, the

strengthening of the NCS implied that the focus should now be on teaching and learning and

not on administration and paperwork.

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6.4.2 The extent to which the principles of the NCS helped to transform education for learners

The majority of the teachers did not believe that the NCS helped to transform education for

learners. This result is supported by other findings from other studies. The subject Life

Orientation is taught by teachers who are not specialists in this subject. Therefore, Life

Orientation and the principles of the NCS are not successfully implemented (Van Deventer,

2004; Rooth, 2005; Christiaans, 2006). Although the Department of Education spends a

considerable amount of money on interventions and resources, the principles of the NCS

continue not to make an impact on the education of the learners.

As part of addressing the extent to which the principles of the NCS helped to transform

education for learners, and based on the results presented in this chapter, the researcher

concurs with Barber (2000: 250); Boyle (2000: 189); and Fullan (2001: 297) that education

transformation and change processes in general are complex and they require intensive

development, training, facilitation, monitoring and mediation. The findings of this study

confirm that the implementation of the principles of the NCS has not been successful. These

findings are based on both the literature review and the responses from the respondents.

6.4.3 The impact of the training received by teachers made on the implementation of the principles of the NCS

The issue of poor training of teachers is the problem on which there was most agreement

among the respondents – that the training of teachers to implement the NCS principles was

inadequate. The alarmingly high percentage of Life Orientation teachers who had indicated

that they were poorly trained to teach the principles of the NCS is a clear indication that the

implementation of the principles of the NCS and the NCS, in general, is not successful. If the

education policies meant to transform the education system are not being effectively

implemented due to the incapacity of the teachers to teach, then the researcher may

conclude that the envisaged education transformation is not realising the perceived

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outcomes. There is no environment conducive to the teaching of the subject Life Orientation

(Van Deventer, 2009: 127).

The required effective teacher preparation training programmes, referred to in chapters 1, 2,

3 and 4 have not happened. It was, nevertheless, found that, although education is no longer

racially divided as stated in chapter 1, resources such as stationery, desks, materials, as well

as human resources in the form of skilled teachers, are still lacking in township and rural

schools. This is due to under-spending and the failure of suppliers to provide the Learner and

Teacher Support Materials. It was confirmed by the literature review in chapter 2, that with

the inadequate teacher training and poor supply of resources, education is likely to decline.

Studies by Rooth (2005) and Christiaans (2006) on the teaching of the subject Life

Orientation found that the type of teacher who teaches any subject, actually determines the

seriousness and the status of that subject. Bhana et al., (2005: 45) also found that there

were not enough Life Orientation teachers in the education system.

Based on the literature review and the results of this study, there is clearly a need for a

review of the manner in which the curriculum is being implemented. Monitoring and support

on the part of the Department of Education would help to address different aspects of the

curriculum and the impact of implementation of the principles of the NCS.

The alarmingly high percentage of teachers who indicated that they were poorly trained is a

clear indication that the implementation of the principles of the NCS and the strengthening of

the NCS have not made the required impact. If teachers are not immediately trained, training

that may follow later, as was the case when OBE was first introduced, may weaken, instead

of strengthen the implementation of the NCS. The researcher concludes that the envisaged

education transformation is not achieving its outcomes. Teachers also claimed that “Anyone

is given Life Orientation as an additional subject”. This further confirms the need which

emerged from the literature review for the training and developing of teachers.

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From the results presented in this chapter, the researcher can conclude that most teachers

are not trained to deal with addressing the attitudes of learners, inclusivity as well as issues

that link classroom practice and education issues as stated in the Constitution of the

Republic of South Africa. In-house training that may yield better results compared to

afternoon and one day workshops is not carried out as a result of a lack of time and also the

considerable amount of paperwork that teachers are involved in. This type of training is also

tantamount to patch-work training as stated in chapters 1, 2 and 3.

6.4.4 The extent to which the principles of the NCS were being implemented at schools

Although the principles of the NCS have not been successfully implemented and the process

of strengthening the NCS has reversed some of the aspects of the NCS policy, OBE is still

entrenched in the education system. Currently it is not clear what the role of the subject

advisers is because information on NCS changes is sent from the Minister of Basic

Education, directly to schools. As teachers implement the principles of the NCS and the

changes, subject advisers cannot immediately support the schools because information is

received by schools first.

In focusing on the perspectives that influence the implementation of the curriculum, the

literature review in chapter 2, 3 and 4 indicate that political changes influence the way in

which education in a country is viewed and implemented. In addition, a curriculum designed

along rigid or radical religious or political lines could result in an education system based on

rigid values that would determine the perspective of the education system.

The introduction of the new curriculum – from the first OBE approach to the NCS – created

high expectations of the Department of Education. The replacement of a rigid, Christian

based education system with an outcomes-based education system implied that there would

be an impact on education if the constructivist theories of Piaget and Vygotsky were

understood and effectively used by the teachers. The teachers would then be able to

prepare learners effectively. The educational and political paradigms, as well as the

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technological and curriculum changes that took place in the country, have had implications

for the way in which the learner must learn and be taught (Vandeyar & Killen, 2003). The

implementation of the principles of the NCS promotes those teaching methods and strategies

that allow the learners to construct their own learning, skills, knowledge and values.

The principles of the NCS which were intended to have an impact on the education of the

learner were identified and addressed. The researcher confirmed that the NCS and the

policy documents for the different subjects constituted acceptable curriculum policy

documents. However, quality, in-service training for teachers to be able to interpret policy,

teach content and implement policy correctly was essential. The ideas which emerged from

the literature review and from the focus groups confirmed the need for both a review of the

curriculum and for effective monitoring and support in respect of teachers. The problem of

non-compliance is confirmed by Bhana et al.’s (2005: 2) finding that only 70% of schools

were teaching Life Orientation.

6.4.5 Impact made on the attitude of learners Only about half the teachers believed that the NCS impacted on learners attitudes. There is

a correlation between Bhana et al.’s (2005: 14) finding. Learners are frequently absent from

school and have a negative attitude towards their learning. This result, therefore, gives an

impression that learners are not constructing their own skills, knowledge, and values in Life

Orientation. If, 12 years after the implementation of the new curriculum, learners are still

negative, then the principles of the NCS in Life Orientation have not made the necessary

impact. Education is not yet a societal issue because learners are still not contributing to

South African society.

As stated in the literature review, Bhana et al. (2005: 12) also made an interesting finding.

Although learners did not seem to be positive towards their schooling, they expected to go to

university, college, or even study further for an advanced degree. This anomaly needs

serious consideration. Learners need to understand that they had to work for their degrees.

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6.4.6 The impact of the implementation of the principles of the NCS in terms of observing the culture of others

The teachers generally agreed that the learners did not learn to respect other cultures

through implementation of the NCS. If human and material resources are not provided,

learners cannot be holistically developed, such as equipping them with life-skills that promote

cultural diversity as well as an appreciation of and respect for other people (Department of

Education, 2002(b); Department of Education, 2003(b)).

6.4.7 The impact of the implementation of the principles of the NCS on morals, values and standards

As taught in the subject Life Orientation, issues of morality, values and standards are largely

left to communities, faith-based organisations, churches, community youth clubs as well as

to parents who have been empowered to teach and to mentor their own children. Wentzel

(2001) also highlighted the fact that Life Orientation was not taught well enough at schools.

Therefore, problems of moral decline, values and standards are not effectively addressed in

Life Orientation.

6.4.8 The impact of the implementation of the principles of the NCS on addressing

barriers to learning Teachers were relatively positive about this issue. It should also be considered that

electronic teaching and learning uses inclusive ICT and other strategies to help learners with

barriers to learning (Killen, 2000(a): 169).

6.4.9 The impact of the implementation of the principles of the NCS on equipping learners with life skills

Less than half the teachers thought the NCS principles equipped learners with life skills.

Bhana et al. (2005:12) found that the majority of learners believed that religious education

155

was “very important in their lives”. It is ironic that in the first OBE approach religious

education was replaced mainly with cultural and life skills programmes and activities that had

no bearing on the lives of the learners.

6.5 SUMMARY In chapter six, the quantitative and qualitative results were presented. This was followed by a

discussion of the results.

In the next chapter the conclusions are presented. The limitations of the study are also

mentioned and recommendations for improved practice and for further study are also made.

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CHAPTER 7 CONCLUSION, RECOMMENDATIONS AND LIMITATIONS

7.1 INTRODUCTION

In the previous chapter the results of the study were presented. These were also discussed

in the light of the literature review.

In this chapter, the conclusions of the study, in line with the major results explained in the

previous chapter, are presented. Recommendations are also made in line with the

conclusions. Finally, the limitations of the study are highlighted.

The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of the implementation of the

principles of the NCS for grade 10 Life Orientation, using constructivist approaches to

teaching and learning. In order to achieve the aims of this study, the following nine main

questions were asked:

• What is the impact of the amount of paperwork and administration that teachers

have with the implementation of the principles of the NCS?


learners?




157

• What is the impact of the implementation of the principles of the NCS on the

attitude of the learners?









7.2 CONCLUSIONS Since the respondents are not a representative sample of any specific population,

conclusions are drawn with care and are tentative.

7.2.1 Research question one

What is the impact of the amount of paperwork and administration that teachers have with

the implementation of the principles of the NCS?

In general, the introduction of the NCS had resulted in too much paperwork and

administration.

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7.2.2 Research question two

To what extent have the principles of the NCS helped to transform education for learners?

It seemed that the principles of the NCS in Life Orientation had not helped to transform

education from the apartheid era system of education to the present democratic system of

education. The NCS principles were better in theory than in practice.

7.2.3 Research question three

What impact did the training received by teachers make with regard to the implementation of


Generally speaking, the respondents believed that teachers were poorly trained on

implementing the principles of the NCS. There were not enough meetings and workshops

and not sufficient follow-up support was provided.

7.2.4 Research question four

To what extent are the principles of the NCS being implemented at schools?

It seems that, generally speaking, the principles of the Life Orientation NCS are not

implemented at schools.

One of the reasons for this is the fact that the there were problems with the distribution of

policies to teachers via school managers (see research questions three and four).

7.2.5 Research question five

What is the impact of the implementation of the principles of the NCS on the attitude of the

learners?

159

The implementation of the principles of the NCS did not make the envisaged impact on

learner attitudes. The reasons may, among others, be because of poor training of teachers

and limited distribution of policies to teachers.

7.2.6 Research question six

What is the impact of the implementation of the principles of the NCS in terms of observing

the culture of others?

The implementation of the principles of the NCS did not make the envisaged impact on

learner respect for other cultures. The reasons may be, among others, because of poor

training of teachers and limited distribution of policies to teachers.

7.2.7 Research question seven

What is the impact of the implementation of the principles of the NCS on morals, values and


The NCS did not have the ideal impact on morals, values and standards. Moreover, it did not

impact as significantly as hoped for on crime rate, learner pregnancy or disrespect at school.

This confirms that the principles of the NCS in terms of Life Orientation were not having the

effect that was envisaged. It can therefore be concluded that the principles of the NCS in Life

Orientation have failed to address issues related to the behaviour of learners.

7.2.8 Research question eight

What is the impact of the implementation of the principles of the NCS in terms of addressing

barriers to learning?

160

The NCS was more successful with regards to this issue than with others. It helped to an

extent to address barriers to learning.

7.2.9 Research question nine

What is the impact of the implementation of the principles of the NCS in terms of equipping

learners with the required life skills?

Generally speaking, the NCS did not support learners well to acquire life skills.

7.3 RECOMMENDATIONS 7.3.1 Recommendations for the enhancement of the implementation of the

principles of the NCS for grade 10 Life Orientation

• The Department of Education must take immediate steps to address the status of the

subject Life Orientation and the problems encountered in teaching the subject. This

recommendation is in accordance with the suggestion made by previous authors such

as Rooth (2005), Theron and Dalzel (2006) and Prinsloo (2007). These researchers

based their recommendation on the fact that Life Orientation is regarded as the most

important subject by the Department (Department of Education, 2002(b)).

• This study concluded that the amount of paperwork and administration that teachers

have with the implementation of the principles of the NCS impacted negatively and

hindered teachers in performing their teaching and learning duties effectively. Hence

the following is recommended: the lengthy and complicated process of the

implementation of the curriculum should be reduced and simplified. It is also

recommended that the administrative duties of the teachers be minimised, that more

time be spent on the teaching of the learners and that teachers receive support in

respect of classroom related issues. This is in line with some previous

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recommendations (“Curriculum News”, Department of Education, 2010(a);

Department of Education, 2010(b)).

• According to Rooth (2005), Theron and Dalzell (2006), and Prinsloo (2007), if policies

about the teaching of the subject Life Orientation are not distributed by the school

management teams, the principles of the NCS cannot be implemented. Thus, policies

should not simply be sent to schools without ensuring that teachers read and

understand them. Both principals and school management teams may not be taking

the subject Life Orientation seriously. It is therefore recommended that the

Department should ensure that school principals and their management teams

conscientiously deal with the implementation of the principles of the NCS.

• If more resources and capacity could be provided, this would enable district officials to

monitor the implementation of the principles of the NCS effectively. The provision of

adequate resources and effective monitoring on the part of district officials would also

help to address the issues raised by teachers, such as learners’ laziness and inability

to properly communicate their ideas in discussions.

• The criticism levelled against the outcomes-based NCS curriculum that it is both

confusing and alien should be accepted as helpful and it should be used in correcting

and in strengthening the NCS. Strengthening the NCS without taking the views of the

critics of OBE into account could make the latest changes to the NCS ineffective.

7.3.2 Recommendations for further research

Based on the conclusions of this study, the researcher recommends the following for further

investigation:

• This study identified that teachers need to be given training and more support in

equipping learners with the necessary life-skills. It is important to investigate ways in

162

which to improve the training of teachers on how to implement the principles of the

NCS for grade 10 Life Orientation.

• In accordance the above, it is also important to investigate ways in which teachers

can be better supported while they implement the principles of the NCS for grade 10

Life Orientation.

• Parental and community involvement in the education of the learners may help to

address learner behavioural problems and attitudes. The need for parental

involvement was confirmed because teachers felt that there was no parental or

community involvement. This reveals the need for the Department of Education to

improve parental involvement and to create an environment that will be conducive for

active parental involvement so that education can be a societal issue. This issue

needs to be researched.

• Another study with a wider demographic area and a greater sample could enhance

insight and enable greater generalisation regarding the implementation of the

principles of Life Orientation. Such a study is also recommended.

7.4 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

As with all research, there are limitations that must be acknowledged when considering

results. As mentioned earlier in this study, the limitation of this study was the small number

of participants (48 Life Orientation teachers from 48 secondary schools in the Gauteng West

district). This group does not represent any particular population. All conclusions are

therefore limited to the sample and cannot be generalised to all teachers countrywide.

Another study with a wider demographic area and a greater sample could help to address

this limitation.

7.5 SUMMARY Effective implementation of the principles of the NCS for Life Orientation has various

requirements. Thus, with a specific focus on Life Orientation in grade 10, the study aimed at

investigating various issues around the implementation of these principles. To this end, a

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mixed-methods approach was used. In the quantitative phase, questionnaires were used. In

the qualitative phase, focus groups and interviews were used to collect data. Similar

questions were asked in both phases. The sample was a group of 48 Life Orientation

teachers from 48 secondary schools in the Gauteng West district. Ethical issues were

considered. Techniques to ensure validity and reliability were also taken into account.

The results showed that, in general:

• the introduction of the NCS in Life Orientation had resulted in too much paperwork

and administration for the teachers;

• the principles of the NCS had not helped to transform education from the apartheid

era system of education to the present democratic system of education;

• the teachers were poorly trained with regard to implementing the principles of the

NCS in the sense that there were not enough workshops and follow-up support

provided;

• the principles of the NCS were not implemented at schools, among others because

there were problems with the distribution of policies to the teachers via the school

management;


learner attitudes since the attitudes of many learners were often negative;


learner respect for other cultures;

• the principles of the NCS did not have the ideal impact on morals, values and

standards; or impact significantly on crime rate, learner pregnancy or disrespect at

school; and

• the principles of the NCS did not support learners well to acquire life skills.

• However, the principles of the NCS in Life Orientation were more successful with

regards to helping address barriers to learning.

In line with the above, recommendations were made and the limitations of the study were

pointed out.

164

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184

APPENDIX A: Request for permission to conduct research

Plot 103

9th Avenue

Pelzvale

Randfontein

1759

19 February 2008

Mr Shadrack Phele

Director: Research: Gauteng Department of Education

111 Commissioner Street

Johannesburg

0001

Dear Mr Shadrack Phele,

REQUEST FOR PERMISSION TO CONDUCT RESEARCH

I would appreciate your considering my request to be granted permission to conduct

research for the Degree Doctor Educationis. The details are as follows:

Title of Thesis: EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF THE PRINCIPLES OF THE NATIONAL

CURRICULUM STATEMENT FOR GRADE TEN LIFE ORIENTATION

Name of Supervisor: Dr LDM Lebeloane

Name of Institution: University of South Africa

Student no.: 04137345

I shall be glad if my request can be favourably considered.

Thanking you.

Respectfully yours,

Peter Sizani Skosana

185

APPENDIX B: Permission to conduct research

5 March 2009

Gauteng Department of Education

Gauteng West District

Dear Sir or Madam


Your request to conduct research in the Gauteng West schools has reference.

You are hereby granted permission to conduct your research in the Gauteng West High

schools. Kindly note that according to the policies of the Department of Education all contact

with teachers and meetings will take place either over weekends or after school. However,

in cases where you may need to interview or use a questionnaire during school hours, that

will have to be arranged with relevant principals.

Upon producing this letter, you should have no problem with permission to meeting teachers

as requested, seeing that the letter was signed by the District Office.

Yours faithfully

E E Froneman

District Director

Gauteng West District Office

186

APPENDIX C: Request for Life Orientation teachers

The Principals of Secondary Schools

Gauteng Department of Education


Dear Sir or Madam


I would appreciate your considering my request to be granted permission to conduct

research for the Degree Doctor Educationis at your school. I will need one Grade 10 Life

Orientation teacher to be interviewed. The details of my research are as follows:

Title of Thesis: EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF THE PRINCIPLES OF THE NATIONAL

CURRICULUM STATEMENT FOR GRADE TEN LIFE ORIENTATION

Name of Institution: University of South Africa

All ethical matters have been considered, and permission has been granted by Head Office.

It is requested that the Life Orientation teacher bring the Life Orientation policy document to

the interview session.

I shall be glad if my request can be favourably considered.

Thanking you

Respectfully yours,

Peter Sizani Skosana

187

APPENDIX: D Circuits of schools GAUTENG DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

GAUTENG WEST DISTRICT

IDS: CIRCUIT 1

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Secondary Schools

SCHOOL TELEPHONE FAX

H/S Bastion 762-5245 762-1402

Lukhanyo Secondary 082 409 1998

SG Mafaesa Secondary 410-2190 410 2190

Primary Schools


Ipeleng Primary 755-1150 755-3582

L/S Randfontein 412-2902/3 412-3561

L/S Rapportryer 412-2804/5 693-1174

Malerato Primary 414-1103 414-1103

Seatile Primary 755-1602 755-1703

Sedimosang Primary 414-1452 414-1452

Toekomsrus Primary 693-5025 693-5025

Zuurbekom Primary 851-1016 851-1200

Rural Schools


Swartkop Valley Primary 957-3555 957 3555

188

Independent Schools


Barachel Christian

Academy

082 429 7835

011 412 2258

412-2258

Secondary Schools 3

Primary Schools 8

Rural Primary Schools 1

Independent 1

TOTAL: 13

GAUTENG DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


IDS: CIRCUIT 2

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Secondary Schools


H/S Westonaria 753-1168/9 753-2103

Simunye Secondary

Lodirile Secondary 765-8144 765-2758

Randfontein Sekondêr 693-5026/412-

4178

693-5052

189

Primary Schools


Hartz Straat Primêr 693- 5403 693- 5403

L/S Glenharvie 752-1135/6 752-1135

L/S Modderfontein 756-1501 756-1127

L/S Protearif 956-6358 956-6359

Mohlakeng Primary 414-1203 414-1203

Starkey Weyer Primary 755 1018 755 1018

Venterpost Mine Primary 414-1404 414-1404

Rural Schools


Mablomong Primary 416-1200

Mphe-Thuto Primary 014-577-2090 014 577 4534

Independent Schools


Azaadville Muslim School 413-1399 413-1324

Secondary Schools 4

Primary Schools 7


Independent Schools 1

TOTAL: 14

190

GAUTENG DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION GAUTENG WEST DISTRICT

IDS: CIRCUIT 3

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Secondary Schools


Ahmed Timol Secondary 413-1323/1314 413-1328

H/S Jan de Klerk 665-1143 665-1164

Phahama Secondary 414-1303 414-0994

Kagiso Secondary School 410-1306 410-6698

Primary Schools


FJL Wells Primary 412-3023 412-3023

Isiqalo Primary 755-1823 755-3150

L/S Avantè Primary 415-1301 415-1302

L/S Venterspost Primary 698-1015 698-1610

Maputle Primary 755-1001/2273 755-1001

Rural Schools


Brandvlei Primary 416-2158/2122

Tarlton Primary 952 2436/2879 952 2436

191

LSEN Schools


Rant-en-Dal Kliniek Skool 665-1033 665-1033

Independent Schools


Magaliesburg Group 014-577-1193 014-577-1192

Secondary Schools 4

Primary Schools 5


LSEN 1

Independent Schools 1

TOTAL: 13

192



IDS: CIRCUIT 4

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Secondary Schools


AB Phokompe Secondary 414-0002 414-0002

H/S Noordheuwel 954-1032 954-1033

Thuto Lehakwe Secondary 414-0360 414-5702

Primary Schools


Bulelani Primary 414-1140/1190 414 2055

L/S Kenmare 955-1074 955-1075

L/S Millenium 953-3786 660 7352

Matlapaneng Primary 414-1995 414-1995

Tswelelo Primary 414-4358 414-5081

Westgold Primary School 412-3108 412-3109

Rural Schools


Kwaggafontein Primary 952-2845

Maloney’s Eye Primary 014 577 3025 014 577 3025

193

Independent Schools


John Martin Catholic 410-7804 410-7804

LSEN School


Itumeleng School 753 1192 753 1192

Secondary Schools 3

Primary Schools 6


Independent School 1

LSEN School 1

TOTAL: 13

194



IDS: CIRCUIT 5

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Secondary Schools


Ithuteng Secondary 416 2132 416 2132

Magalies State School 014-577-1163 014-577-2009

Randfontein High School 693-5220/1 692-3424

Rietvallei Extension 2 Sec 078-970-7223

Primary Schools


Dr Yusuf Dadoo Primary 413-1337 413-1337

Khululekani Primary 765-1011/2594 765 2753

L/S Muldersdrift 662-1929/1932 662-1929

Mohlakano Primary 414-1284 414-3571

Patrick Mashego Primary 765 8265 765-8265

Randfontein Primary 693-5333/4 692-3325

Khaselihle Primary 410-1098/1298 410-1278

Rural Schools


Thuto-Bokamoso Primary 416-3475 416-3475

195

Independent Schools


Vineyard Christian School 079 785 6213 079 785 6213

Secondary schools 4

Primary schools 7

Rural primary schools 1

Independent school 1

TOTAL 13



IDS: CIRCUIT 6

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Secondary Schools


H/S Bekker 014-577-5936/7/8 014-577-5939

Mandisa Shiceka

Secondary

410-6319/7226 410 6317

Kagiso Extesion 14 Sec

Primary Schools


Boipelo Primary 410- 1001/2916 410-1001

L/S Bekker 014-577-1129 014-577-1474

L/S Nooitgedacht 708-1202 708-1145

196

079-053-7023 086-659-3686

L/S Paardekraal 953-1930 953-1390

Lengau Primary 410-6375/9109 410 9109

Monument Primary 660-6361 665-2315

Thusong Primary 410-8890

Thuthuzekani Primary 765-8421 765 8421

Rural Schools


Die Poort Primary 073 257 6221

Independent Schools


Woodland Preparatory 014 577 1381 014 577 1381

Secondary schools 3

Primary schools 8

Rural primary school 1

Independent school 1

TOTAL: 13

197



IDS: CIRCUIT 7

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Secondary schools


HTS N Diederichs 660-3161 660-2001

Krugersdorp High 954-1009 954-3716

Mosupatsela Secondary 410-1000 410-5616

Primary schools

SCHOOL FAX

Athlolang Primary 410 5763

Krugersdorp Town Primary 665-1293

Lewisham Primary 664-7777

Matlhasedi Primary 410-3012

WD Oliphant Primary 410 5330

Rural schools


L/S Hekpoort 014-576-1103 014-576-1190

Lourensia Primary 416-3612 416 3615

Setholela Primary 696-1819 696-1819

Independent schools


Alma Mater Akademie 660-7567 660-7535

198



IDS: CIRCUIT 8

PUBLIC SCHOOL

Secondary schools


H/S Monument 953-1165 953-6770

Kgothalang Secondary 755-1645 755-1645/3904

Matla Combined 957-0302 957-0302

Town View High 953-3770 953-4788

Primary schools


Diphalane Primary 665-2650 665 2650

L/S Gerrit Maritz 753-1817 753-1817

Phatudi Primary 660-2185 660 9360

Westonaria Primary 753-1611 753-2318

Secondary schools 3

Primary schools 5


Independent 1

TOTAL: 12

199

Rural schools


FJ Kloppers primary 014 576 1336 014 577 1336

LSEN


Itireleng 410-6335 410-6335

Pro Practicum Skool 953-1998/9 953-1984

Wesrandse Skool 668-8200 953-4865

Independent schools


St Ursula’s 660-6528 953-4570

Secondary schools 4

Primary schools 4

Rural primary school 1

LSEN 3

Independent schools 1

TOTAL 13

200

GAUTENG DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION GAUTENG WEST DISTRICT

IDS: CIRCUIT 9

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Secondary schools


H/S Riebeeckrand 693-3771/2 412-2193

Madiba Secondary 410-2442 410-2404

Schaumburg Combined 012-207-1484

Primary schools


Bosele Primary 410-1269 410-1269

Enthuthukweni Primary 410-8596 410-9767

Kid Maponya Primary 419 9367 419 9367

L/S Krugersdorp- Noord 665-1390 660-1323

Silverfields Primary 955-2138 955-2679

Tsakani Primary 410-6181 410-9358

Rural schools


Rand Gold Primary 072 494 0509

Lesego Primary 957-2109

201

Independent schools


HIS School 014-577-1238 014-577-1345

CVO Skool Wesrand 952-2272 952-2272

Secondary schools 3

Primary schools 6


Independent 2

TOTAL 13

202



IDS: CIRCUIT 10

Secondary schools


H/S Jan Viljoen 693-5204/5 693-5930

TM Letlhake Secondary 755-1940 755-1940

Thuto-Lefa Secondary 660-4516 953-2825

Primary schools


L/S Ebenhaeser 953-3802 660-1869

Phandulwazi Primary 414 3852 414-3852

Sandile Primary 410-1024 410-1024

Setlolamathe Primary 410- 1684/ 6125 410 6125

Thembile Primary 410-1040 410-1040

Tsholetsega Primary 410-0642 410 0642

Western Areas Mine Prim 756 0047 753-1673

West Rand Primary Mine 953-4910 953 1370

Rural schools


Unity Primary 952-1028 952-1093

203

Secondary schools 3

Primary schools 8

Rural schools 1

TOTAL 12

204

APPENDIX E Summary of schools in Gauteng West district Gauteng Department of Education


Number of Schools

(January 2009)

Secondary schools 34

Primary schools 80

LSEN 5

Independent 10

TOTAL 129

205

APPENDIX F: THE QUESTIONNAIRE

QUESTION YES NO

1. Does the amount of paperwork and administration that

teachers do have an impact on the implementation of


2. Have the principles of the NCS helped to transform

education for learners?

3. Has the training received by teachers made the

required positive impact in the implementation of the

principles of the NCS?

4. Are the principles of the NCS being implemented at

schools?

5. Has the implementation of the principles of the NCS

made an impact on the attitude of the learners?


made an impact in terms of observing the culture of

others?

7. Have the principles of the NCS had an impact on

moral decline, values and standards?


had an impact in addressing the rate of crime, learner

pregnancy and disrespect at schools?


had an impact in addressing barriers to learning?


had an impact in equipping learners with the required

life skills?

206

APPENDIX G: analysis of responses Table 6.1. Quiz [n=48 (Group A: n=24; Group B: n=24)] Questions Group Yes Total % No Total % 1. Does the amount of paperwork

and administration work have a positive impact on the implementation of the principles of the NCS?

A

7 12 25 17 36 75

B 5 19

2. Have the principles of the NCS in terms of Life Orientation help to transform education for learners?

A 6 12 25 18 36 75

B 6 18

3. Has the training received by teachers made the required positive impact in the implementation of the principles of the NCS?

A 2 6 13 22 42 87

B 4 20

4. Are the principles of the NCS being implemented at schools?

A 4 7 15 20 41 85 B 3 21

5. Has the implementation of the principles of the NCS made an impact on the attitude of learners?

A 12 24 50 12 24 50

B 12 12

6. Has the implementation of the principles of the NCS made an impact in terms of observing the culture of others?

A 3 7 15 21 41 85

B 4 20

7. Have the principles of the NCS had an impact on moral decline, values and standards?

A 8 15 31 16 33 69

B 7 17 8. Has the implementation of the

principles of the NCS had an impact in addressing the rate of crime, learner pregnancy and disrespect at schools?

A 8 17 35 16 31 65

B 9 15

9. Has the implementation of the principles of the NCS had an impact in addressing barriers to learning?

A 14 26 54 10 22 46

B 12 12

10. Has the implementation of the principles of the NCS had an impact in equipping learners with the required life skills?

A 9 21 44 15 27 56

B 12 12

207

Appendix H: Focus groups Number of teachers = 48

• Focus Group 1 included teachers from schools in Mogale City and

Randfontein (see Appendix I for interview guide).

• Focus Group 2 consisted of teachers from Mogale City, Randfontein

and Westonaria (see Appendix I for interview).

• Focus Group 3 was made up of teachers from Mogale City and

Randfontein schools (see Appendix I for interview guide).

• Focus group 4 comprised of teachers from Westonaria, Randfontein

and Mogale City (see Appendix I for interview guide).

208

APPENDIX I: INTERVIEW GUIDE

1. Does the amount of paperwork and administration work have a

positive impact on the implementation of the principles of the NCS?

2. Have the principles of the NCS in terms of Life Orientation help to

transform education for learners?

3. Has the training received by teachers made the required positive

impact in the implementation of the principles of the NCS?


5. Has the implementation of the principles of the NCS made an impact

on the attitude of learners?

6. Has the implementation of the principles of the NCS made an impact

in terms of observing the culture of others?

7. Have the principles of the NCS had an impact on moral decline,

values and standards?

8. Has the implementation of the principles of the NCS had an impact in

addressing the rate of crime, learner pregnancy and disrespect at

schools?

209

APPENDIX J Gauteng West secondary schools

GAUTENG WEST SECONDARY SCHOOLS

GROUP 1

AB PHOKOMPE

AHMED TIMOL

H/S BASTION

H/S BEKKER

H/S JAN DE KLERK

H/S JAN VILJOEN

H/S MONUMENT

H/S NOORDHUEWEL

KAGISO EXTENSION 14

GROUP 2

H/S WESTONARIA

HTS NIC DIEDERICHS

ITHUTENG SEC

KAGISO SECONDARY

KGOTHALANG SEC

KRUGERSDORP HIGH

LODIRILE SECONDARY

H/S RIEBEECKRAND

RIETVALEI EXTENSION

GROUP 3

MADIBA SEC

MAGALIES STATE

MANDISA SHICEKA

210

MATLA COMBINED

MOSUPATSELA SEC

PHAHAMA SEC

RANDFONTEIN HIGH

RANDFONTEIN SEKONDER

GROUP 4

SCHAUMBURG COMBINED

SG MAFAESA

SIMUNYE SECONDARY

THUTO LEFA

THUTO LEHAKWE

TM LETLHAKE SEC

TOWN VIEW HIGH

IZANOKHANYO

211

APPENDIX K: Reliability coefficients

Questions Y

ES

Ave

rage

Var

ianc

e

Alp

ha

NO

A

vera

ge

Var

ianc

e A

lpha

1. Does the amount of paperwork and administration work have a positive impact on the implementation of the principles of the NCS?

12 0,25 138,06 1,05 36 0,75 1242 0,58

2. Have the principles of the NCS in terms of Life Orientation help to transform education for learners?

12 0,25 138,06 1,05 36 0,75 1242 0,58

3. Has the training received by teachers made the required positive impact in the implementation of the principles of the NCS?

6 0,13 34,45 1,09 42 0,87 1691 0,40


7 0,15 46,92 1,09 41 0,85 1612 0,43

5. Has the implementation of the principles of the NCS made an impact on the attitude of learners?

24 0,50 552,25 0,86 24 0,50 552,25 0,87

6. Has the implementation of the principles of the NCS made an impact in terms of observing the culture of others?

7 0,15 46,92 1,09 41 0,85 1612 0,43

7. Have the principles of the NCS had an impact on moral decline, values and standards?

15 0,31 215,79 1,01 33 0,69 1043 0,67

8. Has the implementation of the principles of the NCS had an impact in addressing the rate of crime, learner pregnancy and disrespect at schools?

17 0,35 277,22 0,98 31 0,65 921,12 0,72

212

APPENDIX L: Field notes related to focus groups

In this study, each focus group was asked to read the Life Orientation Policy documents as

well as the Subject Assessment Guidelines of the Department of Education in preparation for

the interviews so that meaningful information could be obtained. All the groups were

reminded to bring the abovementioned Life Orientation documents to the interviews.

Size of the focus groups

For the purposes of this study, the number of respondents was limited to between eight and

nine per group. The intention was to encourage greater participation by both the researcher

and the respondents so that quality information could be generated.

• The four focus groups of between eight and nine members each provided the

researcher with contact numbers, as well as the relevant school telephone numbers

so that the researcher could confirm with them before and on the day of the interview

to ensure that all the members of the focus groups would be able to attend the

interview on the day agreed upon.

• One of the schools represented in the focus groups had participated in the in the first

OBE approach and Curriculum 2005 review processes and was, thus, able to provide

valuable information for the study. This information had to do with the following:

• That OBE was foreign and difficult for both teachers and learners.

• Teachers had not been trained in the new approach to teaching and learning. The

afternoon workshops that were conducted by district offices were not sufficient to

equip teachers to change their teaching and assessment methods.

• Principals and their school management teams were not skilled to manage OBE.

Previous authors (e.g. Van Deventer) also found that principals did not assist in

creating an environment conducive to the teaching of the subject Life Orientation.

• Too many tasks were given to learners and parents who were illiterate could not

assist their children. Literate parents did the tasks for their children.

evaluating the impact of the principles of the …

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